Mike Gavin

Joe Yeado

The Public Policy Forum's research team has been re-formulated and is poised to take the organization's nonpartisan policy research efforts to new heights.  In early September, the Forum welcomed Joe Yeado and Mike Gavin to the research staff.  Joe's focus is education, while Mike is concentrating on local government finance.  They replace Virginia Carlson, who left in June for a position with IMPACT Planning Council, and Vanessa Allen, who left in July to pursue her MBA at McGill University.

 

"We are thrilled to have been able to land two policy researchers with such outstanding credentials and with skill sets that dovetail perfectly with the Forum's research agenda," said Forum President Rob Henken.  "We have never had a research staff with the depth and expertise that we now possess, and we are excited about the opportunity to play an even bigger role in promoting effective and data-driven public policy decision-making in our region."

 

Yeado comes to the Forum from the U.S. Education Trust in Washington, DC, where he served for three years as a research and policy analyst for the nonpartisan education think tank.  He earned both his Bachelor's (in Business Economics) and Master's degrees (in Applied Economics) from Marquette University.

 

Gavin also pursued his higher education in Milwaukee, earning his Bachelor's (in Political Science) and his Master's degrees (in Public Administration) from UWM.  He has been working for the past five-and-a-half years as a budget and business analyst for the government of Lake County, IL. 

 

The Forum also announced promotions for two existing staff members.  Joe Peterangelo, who has focused on economic development issues as a researcher for the organization for the past three years, has been promoted to senior researcher; and Jeff Schmidt, who has been a researcher and later researcher/IT Director for the Forum for the past 12 years, will now assume the title of Data and Technology Director.  The Forum's two outstanding part-time researchers - Anne Chapman, who focuses on education and arts/culture, and Davida Amenta, who specializes in local government finance - also will retain their valuable roles with the organization.

 

The new staffing framework reflects the Forum's new draft strategic plan, which seeks to re-focus the organization's research agenda on specific policy issues that are at the forefront of public debate.  The plan also has several strategic goals with regard to membership and organizational issues, which are reflected by the addition of Therese Schneider as Director of Operations in June.  The plan was finalized by the Forum's Executive Committee in August.  It will be rolled out for discussion at the quarterly meeting of the organization's Board of Trustees in mid-October and then shared with Forum members later this year.