LBJ Alumni Recruiting Ambassadors

Email:  Catcarrtx@gmail.com

Job Title:  Project Manager

Organization:  Texas State Government

Bio:

Catherine Carr spent twenty-five years in Budget and Project Management with Texas State Government in transportation, criminal Justice, and human services. She spent time at the Comptroller’s Office, the governor’s office, TxDOT, and the human services office. One the highlights of her career was working with Governors Ann Richards and George Bush. Catherine now lives in San Antonio with her husband and two dachshunds, and is the proud mother of four children and two grandchildren.

Email:  cdonohue@ccsfundraising.com

Job Title:  Senior Director

Organization:  CCS Funding

Bio:  

Carmen is a frontline fundraiser and nonprofit volunteer manager who leverages her philanthropic experience conducting campaigns and planning studies with her public sector knowledge of governance and accountability. Her fundraising success begins by bringing a passion for her client’s mission to donors and by developing personal relationships while communicating the impact of a gift. At CCS, Carmen has specialized in capital campaigns in Protestant, Jewish, and Catholic faith communities. She wrote campaign materials and developed solicitation plans based on knowledge gleaned from and relationships developed during planning studies. Her critical thinking skills show in her prospect research and data analysis, and she is a strong team motivator with both staff and volunteer teams. Since 2020, Carmen has served as Director of Advancement at Cristo Rey Boston High School, a CCS client. She ushered the school through a period of enhanced fundraising goals due to the pandemic’s effect on the school’s Corporate Work Study revenue model. During her tenure, CRB raised nearly $3 million in FY21, twice the funds raised in the previous year. Carmen began her career as a legislative aide in Washington DC and Austin. She gained valuable experience in board relations and nonprofit governance while working in government affairs when two nonprofits merged to create Americans for the Arts. After receiving her masters’ degree, she worked for the Government Accountability Office where she analyzed federal executive branch programs to ensure adherence to laws and regulations and efficient use of taxpayer funds. After moving to Boston she performed similar audit functions at Boston University. Carmen believes that her career in philanthropy maintains the common thread of her lifelong desire to serve the public good. Personal: Carmen received her B.A. in Liberal Arts and Sciences with concentrations in English, history and political science from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia. She also holds an M.P.Aff. from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Email:  marinahench@gmail.com

Job Title:  Senior Policy Advisor

Organization:  Department of Medical Assistance Services

Bio:

Marina Hench is a Senior Policy Advisor in the Healthcare Analytics and Transformation division of Virginia Medicaid. Her past experience includes work for Texas Health and Human Services, the American Cancer Society, and other political advocacy roles in healthcare and industry. Marina completed a BA in International Studies from University of Washington and an executive MPAff (EMPL) from the LBJ School at University of Texas. After 11 years in Austin, she recently moved with her family to Richmond, VA.

Email:  cwlesuer@gmail.com

Title:  Manager, Policy

Organization:  The Chicago Public Education Fund

Bio:

Chris LeSuer is a 2016 graduate of the LBJ School's MPAff program. Prior to starting at LBJ, he served as a teacher in his hometown of Erie, PA for three years. While finishing his degree at LBJ, Chris took a fellowship with Texas State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., through the Gregory Luna Scholars and Fellows program. After graduation, Chris remained in Senator Lucio's office in a succession of roles, culminating as the senator's Legislative Director, across four regular sessions of the Texas Legislature. Chris moved to Chicago with his partner Cassie (also an LBJ alum) in 2022, where he works at The Chicago Public Education Fund, a non-profit focusing on school principals in Chicago Public Schools, leading their legislative and policy work. 

Email:  levy_alberto@hotmail.com

Job Title:  Senior Consultant

Organization:  Grid Advisors LLC

Bio:

Alberto Levy is an Electrical Engineer with a Ph.D. in the regulation of Public Utilities, an MBA in Finance, and more than 35 years of experience in managing complex projects, developing public policy, and promoting changes to regulatory frameworks in the energy and electricity sector. Worked closely with governments, financial institutions, contractors, and developers. Projects include transmission lines, hydroelectric plants, geothermal power, battery energy storage systems, utility scale and distributed generation, in rural and urban settings in different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, which added more than USD three billion. Regulatory frameworks in which I worked include energy efficiency, renewable energy, cross-border interconnections, wholesale electricity markets, and natural gas.

Email:  timothymichalak@gmail.com

Job Title:  Senior Manager

Organization:  Federation of American Scientists

Bio:

Timothy Michalak is the Community & Fellowships Senior Manager. He previously worked on Capitol Hill in the Office of the House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn where he served on the policy team. Prior to Capitol Hill, Timothy completed a Policy Apprenticeship at the Partnership for Public Service, where he focused on tech talent in the federal government. Timothy began his career as an 8th and 9th grade history teacher in Fitchburg, Massachusetts where he also helped lead Upward Bound, a Federal TRIO program. Timothy graduated with his Master of Public Affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin and completed his undergraduate degree in history and education at Fitchburg State University.

Email:  lacem30@yahoo.com

Job Title:  Audit Manager

Organization:  City and County of Denver's Auditor's Office

Bio:

Emily Owens Gerber is an Audit Manager in the Denver Auditor's Office. I have worked with the Auditor's Office, doing performance audits (i.e., program evaluation) for almost 11 years. Prior to moving to the Denver area I lived in D.C. for two years while working at the Government Accountability Office conducting performance audits of several federal agencies. Before attending the LBJ School of Public Affairs I was exploring career opportunities in the areas of animal welfare and conservation - areas that remain a passion of mine. I am a Texas native and most of my family lives in the Austin area so I visit regularly and love going back to Austin. I live in Arvada, a suburb of Denver, with my husband and two dogs - Zoey and Frida.

Email:  kosoris@gmail.com

Job Title:  Specialist Leader

Organization:  Deloitte

Bio:

Justin Kosoris works at the intersection of economic growth, agriculture, and climate change. In his current role with Deloitte he helps lead the AgResults Initiative, a multi-donor, pay-for-results agricultural development fund that uses prize competitions to spur private sector actors to engage in underserved markets. He has designed and implemented programs in Haiti, Senegal, Vietnam, Rwanda, Cote d'Ivoire, Tanzania, Indonesia, and Mali among other countries to deliver solutions to improve economic outcomes and address challenges related to climate change. He holds a master of public affairs (international specialization) from the LBJ School at the University of Texas-Austin, and a bachelor of international studies from Johns Hopkins University. He began his career as an agricultural extension agent with the United States Peace Corps in Senegal. He lives in Austin with his partner Pooja, his son, and two cats.

Email:  will.payne12@gmail.com

Job Title:  Performance & Budget Manager

Organization:  City of Largo

Bio:

Will Payne is the Performance & Budget Manager for the City of Largo, Florida, a suburb of the Tampa/St Petersburg metro area. Will has spent the last 8 years in local government, beginning his career as a Policy Analyst with the City of Richmond, VA prior to joining the City of Largo. In his current role, Will is responsible for coordinating citywide operating and capital budgets, as well as developing performance reporting and data analysis processes and systems to help guide the City’s decision making. As a full service city, this work spans policy areas as diverse as public safety, affordable housing, wastewater and transportation infrastructure, and recreation and library services. Prior to the LBJ School, Will completed his undergraduate degree in political science at the University of South Carolina. Will lives in St. Petersburg, FL with his wife (also an LBJ alum), along with their son and two rescue dogs, Rosie and Doug.

Email:  erajmail@yahoo.com

Job Title:  CEO

Organization:  Self-employed

Bio: 

Raj Rajgopal is a 2001 M.P.Aff graduate from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. After his graduation he worked for the Public Utility Commission of Texas as a Senior Policy Analyst. He was also an expert witness for the State of Texas and worked the legislature and the commission to craft city, state and national utility policy. He was instrumental in implementing the landmark rights of way legislation in Texas, which enabled utility providers to expand their footprint with regulatory burdens. The effects of this is still being felt 15 years after implementation. Post PUC, Raj worked at ERCOT in the Technology Division which operationalizes the policy directives of the PUC. Raj also holds a Masters in Computer Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin, 1994 graduate. Raj lives in Austin, with his two children, wife, and pet dog Luna. Currently he is self employed and is in consulting and coaching.

Email:  scoggin.andrew@gmail.com

Job Title:  Assistant City Auditor

Organization:  City of Seattle

Bio:

Andrew Scoggin is an assistant city auditor with the City of Seattle's Office of City Auditor. He graduated from the LBJ School with a Master of Public Affairs in 2019. After graduating, he worked in the City of Austin's Office of the City Auditor before moving to Seattle in 2022. In a previous life, Andrew attended journalism school at Northwestern University and worked as a reporter at The Dallas Morning News and The Associated Press in Chicago. Away from work, Andrew might be found relaxing at a baseball game, running near Lake Washington, or hanging out with his 3-year-old son (especially playing Mario Party lately).

Email:  lauren.toppenberg@gmail.com

Job Title:  Researcher

Organization:  Columbia University

Bio:

Lauren Toppenberg is a Social Policy and Policy Analysis PhD candidate and researcher at the Columbia University School of Social Work. Her research focuses on the intersection of food insecurity and social and economic policies, with a particular interest in understanding disparities in rates of food insecurity for at-risk populations. Prior to pursuing her PhD, Lauren served as an evaluator and a strategy manager at Feeding Texas, a network of 21 food banks across the state of Texas. In this role, she sought to explain how state and federally-sponsored food bank programming impacted food insecure households and their health and well-being outcomes. Lauren holds a Bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, as well as Masters’ degrees in Public Health and Public Affairs from the University of Texas. Lauren currently lives in NYC, but misses Austin breakfast tacos everyday.

Email:  emily.vasile@loudoun.gov

Job Title:  Management Analyst - Team Lead

Organization:  Loudoun County 

Bio:

Emily Vasile is a Team Leader in Loudoun County’s Office of Management and Budget. In this role, she supervises a team of analysts who support an array of departments including Health and Human Services, Fire and Rescue, Parks and Recreation, County Administration and General Services as part of the County’s $3.5 billion budget. In addition, she manages the County’s Management Fellowship Program, which partners with ICMA to pair recent master’s graduates with opportunities to conduct important management analysis and support projects, giving them foundational experience in local government. Prior to her time with Loudoun County, Emily held an array of positions in federal government, higher education, and the private sector focused on programmatic audits, evaluations, research, and project management. She has served on several non-profit and local government boards including Community Yoga in Austin and the Bike Board of Morgantown, WV. Emily and family call Purcellville, Virginia home and can be found adventuring and exploring the many hiking and biking trails in the area.

Email:  watzlavickps@state.gov

Job Title:   U.S. Department of State Chair at The National Intelligence University

Organization:  U.S. Department of State

Bio:

Paul Watzlavick, a native Texan, joined the United States Foreign Service in 1999 and has been posted to embassies in Poland, Colombia, the Philippines, Chile, Japan, Iraq, and Kenya. A member of the Senior Foreign Service, he is currently the Department of State Chair and Faculty Advisor at the National Intelligence University. Previously, he was the Director of Analysis for the Middle East and North Africa in the State Department Bureau of Intelligence and Research. Abroad, he has held positions of Vice-Consul, Political Officer, Deputy Press Attaché, Chief of Political-Military Affairs, Press Attaché, and Counselor for Public Affairs. Mr. Watzlavick’s initial posting was Warsaw from 2000-2002 and then Bogotá from 2002-2005. From 2005-2007, Mr. Watzlavick was a Special Assistant to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. From 2007-2009, he was the Political-Military Affairs Chief in Manila. He served as Press Attaché in Santiago from 2009-2012. From 2012-2014, he was Director of the East Asia and Pacific Media Hub in Tokyo. In 2014-2015, he attended the Marine Corps War College, and from 2015-2017 was Director for Press and Public Diplomacy and Bureau Spokesperson for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs in Washington. From 2017-2018, Mr. Watzlavick served as Counselor for Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and from 2018-2020, he was the Counselor for Public Affairs at U.S. Embassy Nairobi. From 1990 to 1997, Mr. Watzlavick worked first as a journalist covering political and economic issues in Latin America, and later as a business communications liaison for state and local government in Texas. Immediately prior to joining the Foreign Service, Mr. Watzlavick worked as an Associate for ICF Consulting in Washington, D.C., managing communications strategy for U.S. state and federal government programs. Mr. Watzlavick holds an undergraduate degree in zoology with a minor in journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, and a Master’s degree in National Security Studies from the U.S. Marine Corps War College. He is married to Foreign Service Specialist Dawn Watzlavick, also from Texas, and they have two children, ages 19 and 18.

Email:  Bill.zepernick@coleg.gov

Job Title:  Fiscal Notes Manager

Organization:  Colorado Legislative Council Staff

Bio:

Bill Zepernick is the fiscal notes manager at Colorado Legislative Council Staff (LCS), responsible for overseeing the fiscal analysis for all bills considered by the Colorado General Assembly (similar to the CBO, but scoring state level legislation). Bill has 17 years of state legislative experience. After graduating from the LBJ School in 2006, he spent two years doing program evaluation work for the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability (OPPAGA) at the Florida Legislature. Bill then moved to Denver to take a new position as a fiscal analyst with the Colorado Legislative Council. For 10 years, he worked in a range of policy areas, including health and human services, elections, insurance, and professional regulation, among others. For the last five years, Bill has managed a staff at about 12 analysts and has served on the management team for the LCS. Bill served in the Peace Corps in Kazakhstan from 2002-2004, and is an advance Russian speaker. Bill is lives with his wife, daughter, and orange cat Murzik in Aurora, CO.