OUR TEAM
Nathan Lee, Managing Director
Nathan Lee is the Founder and Managing Director of CivicPulse. Nathan’s research on local and state government has been published in a wide range of journals in the disciplines of political science, public administration, public policy, psychology, management, and law. Previously, Nathan was an Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the Rochester Institute of Technology (2020-2023). He also served in President Obama's National Economic Council (2011-2012) and on Commissioner Mike Florio's staff at the California Public Utility Commission (2015). Nathan holds a PhD in Political Science from Stanford University, a Masters of Science in Technology and Policy from MIT, and a Bachelors of Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
Amanda Heideman, Research Director
Amanda Heideman is the research director at CivicPulse. Her research agenda addresses critical – and often understudied – questions related to local politics, misinformation in the public, and the effectiveness of program interventions at the intersection of the criminal legal system and behavioral health. Previously, Amanda was a faculty member in the Department of Political Science at Marquette University. She holds a PhD in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with concentrations in American politics, public policy, and public administration.
Christine Dean, Senior Research Associate
Christine is a Senior Research Associate at CivicPulse. Prior to joining CivicPulse, Christine volunteered as Board Treasurer for a nonprofit preschool. Christine received her MS degree in Science, Technology, and Public Policy from Rochester Institute of Technology, where she learned to appreciate the power of quality data visualization in policy matters. Her graduate research included interviewing residents of a Rochester, New York neighborhood to understand their needs and desires for their community.
Joshua Batres, Operations Manager
Josh is the Operations Manager at CivicPulse. Josh comes from an operations background in early ventures, ranging from securing and managing technical workforce projects for Fortune 500s and state governments to facilitating R&D projects supported by the Department of Energy. Josh has a BA in Engineering Science and Business from the University of Rochester. He enjoys cycling and learning new languages.
Victoria Starbuck, Research and Communications Associate
Victoria is a Research and Communications Associate at CivicPulse. She draws on her prior experience at the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) as North America Research Manager, among other roles. Victoria has applied her research, data management, and communication expertise to support clients ranging from elected officials and think tanks to the Law Library of Congress. She holds a MA in Digital Asset and Media Management from King's College London and a BA in History from UNC-Greensboro.
Yingming Tang, Research Associate
Yingming Tang is a Research Associate at CivicPulse. Yingming has a background in data engineering and business intelligence, having started his career at tech companies where he focused on streamlining complex data processes, optimizing data pipelines, and driving significant business growth through innovative solutions. Yingming Tang received his MS degree in Business Analytics from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester.
Matt Seidel, Research and Operations Associate
Matt Seidel is a Research and Operations Associate at CivicPulse. His career has focused on education from the elementary school to college level, public librarianship, and activism. He also served as a researcher for the University at Buffalo Information and Library Science department, MA Jobs with Justice Boston chapter, and has also collaborated with the American Library Association Office of Intellectual Freedom. Matt earned his BA in English and Political Science from Boston University, MA in the Humanities from The University of Chicago, and MS in Information and Library Science from the University at Buffalo. In his spare time, he enjoys performing with his band and boxing.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Drew Combs, City Councilmember for Menlo Park, California
Drew Combs serves on the city council in Menlo Park, California. In his time on the city council, Combs has spearheaded the approval of major infrastructure and park projects, played a key role in hiring senior city staff positions and been an advocate for balanced development. For 2021, he held the position of mayor. Prior to being elected to city council, Combs served on the city’s Planning Commission for four years. Combs was also previously a member of the city’s Bicycle Commission. In addition to city government roles, Combs’ community service has included tutoring high school students and fundraising for a local nonprofit. Combs’ professional experiences include a decade-long stint as a legal journalist as well as operations and privacy management roles in the tech industry. He is a graduate of Columbia University, where he majored in Urban Studies, and Harvard Law School.
Amy Eappen, Deputy Chief Financial Officer at IIE
Amy Eappen is Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at the Institute of International Education (IIE), where she has worked in various finance roles since 2011. Prior to IIE, she worked as a budget analyst at the New York City Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget and Director of Aftercare Services at the New York City Department of Homeless Services. Amy served as an Economic Development Volunteer with the Peace Corps in Honduras. She obtained her M.S. in Management and Urban Policy from the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at the New School and a B.A. in Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs and Spanish from Miami University.
Andy Krackov, President of Hillcrest Advisory
Andy Krackov’s career has focused on the intersection of data and community-level action. His consultancy, Hillcrest Advisory, works with social sector organizations on the front lines of local change to help them communicate numbers effectively and tell stories with data. He managed statewide data projects for two foundations in California: the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health and the California Health Care Foundation. His first professional experience – and his abiding passion – is journalism: Andy was a researcher and a reporter at U.S. News & World Report. Andy received his bachelor’s degree in history from Washington University in St. Louis and his master's degree in communication theory from Stanford.
Talia Lomax-O’dneal, Deputy Finance Director for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County, Tennessee
Talia Lomax-O'dneal is a well-respected government finance professional with more than thirty years of experience in state and local government finance. She has received numerous awards and recognitions for her work. She currently serves as Deputy Finance Director for the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro). From 2015 through 2019, she served as Director of Finance. She was the first African American and first woman to hold this position. She is a Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) and a Certified Municipal Finance Officer (CMFO). She is a member of the Government Finance Officers Association, the AGA and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and is certified as a SHRM-SCP.