Staff
Nick Hart
Chief Executive Officer
Nick Hart is the Chief Executive Officer of the Data Coalition. He helped to craft the milestone Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act, including the OPEN Government Data Act, and has worked with numerous federal agencies and congressional committees to design effective data, evaluation, and privacy policies over the past decade.
Prior to joining the Data Coalition, Hart was Director of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Evidence Project. In that capacity, he championed a strategy for implementing the bipartisan recommendations issued by the U.S. Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking. Hart previously served as the policy and research director for the commission, overseeing the policy and research team and leading development of the commission’s final report, The Promise of Evidence-Based Policymaking, for Congress and the President in 2017.
With nearly a decade of experience in the federal government, Hart worked on a wide range of issues including social security, disability, anti-poverty, environmental, energy, economic development, and criminal justice policies. He served at the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as a senior analyst and special assistant, writing executive branch budget proposals and encouraging increased capacity for evidence-based practices across government. He also served as OMB’s representative on the White House steering committee for President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper Task Force.
Hart has spoken widely about the need for government capacity to facilitate using data to inform decision-making inside and outside of government. He is an expert in federal policies related to data, evaluation, statistics, science, and privacy. In 2019, he received the FCW Federal 100 award.
Hart is an adjunct professor of program evaluation at George Washington University. He serves on the boards of the Data Foundation and the Washington Statistical Society. He also chairs the American Evaluation Association’s Evaluation Policy Task Force.
Hart earned a doctorate from George Washington University’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration, specializing in program evaluation. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Science and Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Truman State University. Nick can be reached at nick.hart@datacoalition.org.
Sarah Joy Hays
Acting Executive Director
Sarah Joy Hays began working with the Data Coalition as a consultant May of 2013. After a successful Data Transparency 2013, she began full-time work with the Coalition. Alongside Hudson, Sarah Joy helped grow membership, cultivate the existing members, as well as coordinate the events and programs produced by the Data Coalition. Sarah Joy is a graduate of Louisiana State University and brings a background of non-profit management, conference planning, and development to her role as Acting Executive Director. Sarah Joy Hays can be reached at sarahjoy.hays@datacoalition.org.
Jessica Yabsley
Senior Director of Communications
Jessica Yabsley is the Senior Director of Communications at the Data Coalition. She focuses on strategic outreach and all internal and external communications at the Coalition. Prior to joining the Coalition, Jessica worked for a boutique federal government affairs firm and completed a legislative fellowship with U.S. Congressional Office. Before relocating to the U.S. from Australia Jessica worked for a number of federal and state Parliamentarians, most notably Australia’s Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey. Jessica is a graduate of the University of Sydney with a Bachelors in Political Economy and has a Masters in Public Policy from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Jessica Yabsley can be reached at jessica.yabsley@datacoalition.org
Christian Hoehner
Senior Director of Policy
As Senior Director of Policy, Christian Hoehner leads the Coalition’s legislative and executive branch advocacy efforts. Prior to the Data Coalition, Christian spent five years with the independent government affairs firm Van Scoyoc Associates where he worked with the firm’s university, research and development, and technology contractor client base. He conducted legislative policy research, tracked the budget process, identified federal programmatic funding opportunities, and developed relations with Congressional staff and industry leaders on behalf of the firm. Christian is a two time graduate of the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in both U.S. Government and Sociology and a Masters of Science in the Management of Information Technology (MS-MIT) from the McIntire School of Commerce. Christian can be reached at Christian.Hoehner@datacoalition.org
Sarah Kerner
Development Director
Sarah Kerner joined the Data Coalition in 2017 as Director of Development. In her role, she works directly with the Coailtion’s leadership and Board to expand the organization in a way that meets their goals and vision. From working with several non-profits in the Washington, DC area, Sarah brings with her experience in foundation and corporate relations, as well as individual fundraising. She is originally from Rochester, NY and graduated with degrees in Psychology and Political Science from Wheaton College (IL). Sarah is the main point of contact for prospective members and can be reached at sarah.kerner@datacoalition.org
Ashley Nelle-Davis
Member Services and Operations Manager
Andrew Luckett
Communications Associate
Andrew Luckett joined the Data Coalition in June 2018 as a Communications Associate. Andrew helps manage the Coalition’s strategic outreach, social media channels, as well as internal and external communications. He brings with him over three years of non-profit and association experience with focuses on communications and government affairs. Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Government and Law at Lafayette College. Andrew can be reached at Andrew.luckett@datacoalition.org.