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3rd Annual State of Oregon Data Equity Summit

Building Sustainable Data Equity Practices: October 27-28, 2026

During this Data Equity Summit we will build our understanding of how to embed data equity into our data governance practices and reflect on why this is important for serving all Oregonians. We will hear from experts, learn about colleagues' data equity work, and encourage additional investments in data equity projects across the State.

The Summit will speak to those who gather information from community members, analyze data, write policy, manage programs - really anyone who works with data around the State.

A special welcome to Dr. Luhui Whitebear PhD, Assistant Professor Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University who will share the keynote presentation! 

About the summit ScheduleEvent details Sponsors 2025 Summit

About the summit

State of Oregon agencies gather, analyze, report and use data in all sorts of ways. Sometimes we don’t pause long enough to think about how the decisions we make about this information impacts the people we serve. During the Data Equity Summit, we will build our understanding of how to embed data equity into our data governance practices and reflect on why it is important for serving all Oregonians. We will hear from experts, learn about colleagues’ data equity work and encourage additional investments in data equity work across the State. The summit is for people who gather program applicants' data, data analysts, managers and anyone who works with data around the State.

Schedule

Participants are welcome to join any or all of the events as suits your interests and schedule. Workshop topics will include: Building Data Equity Capacity, Embedding Data Equity into Data Governance, Data Equity in the Age of AI. 

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026


Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Details

Register for the Data Equity Summit

  • The Summit is free-of-charge, 100% virtual and will be held on October 27-28, 2026. You may “Zoom in" for the events that suit your schedule and interests.
  • Sessions will feature panel presentations, breakout conversations, and colleagues sharing about data equity projects and learnings.
  • American Sign Language (ASL) and Computer-Aided Real Time (CART) transcription will be provided for the Keynote Presentation and Sessions.
  • The Data Equity Summit is primarily intended to support staff throughout State agencies. However, all State of Oregon, local, tribal, government, and community partners are welcome to attend.
  • Reach out to Matt Friesen with questions.
  • Following your registration you will receive a meeting link. Additional Summit details will be posted on this website.

Sponsors and planning committee members

Oregon Department of Administrative Services

  • Meenakshi Rao, Data Equity Consultant, Enterprise Information Services

Oregon Department of Human Services

Oregon Department of Early Learning and Care

Oregon Department of Education 

  • Stephanie Gluck, Research and Data Analyst, Office of Research, Assessment, Data, Accountability and Reporting (RADAR)
Oregon Health Authority

2025 Summit Recap

In October 2025, the State of Oregon held a two-day, Data Equity Summit for state employees and partners who work with data through state programs. The summit provided a learning opportunity to build understanding of how data equity is essential to serving all people living in Oregon.

​D​r. Luhui Whitebear spent her life connected to Indigenous ways of being and knowing. She is an enrolled member of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation with Huestec and Cochimi ancestry. Dr. Whitebear is an assistant professor of Indigenous Studies at Oregon State University, a mother, poet, and an activist engaged in community-based work. She is chair of the Corvallis School Board, serves on the core leadership of the OSU President's Commission on Indigenous Affairs, the Bias Response Team, and on Faculty Senate representing the College of Liberal Arts. Throughout the years, Dr. Whitebear has faced personal and institutional barriers yet has found ways to move through and around them while staying grounded in her identity as an Indigenous person.

This session will feature speakers from across state agencies sharing practical strategies they've used to build capacity for data equity. From internal processes to cross-agency practices, the focus is on how organizations are embedding equity into everyday data work.

Participants will also have the opportunity to workshop ideas and explore which approaches best align with their own agency’s needs. The session is designed to inspire and empower participants to take meaningful steps towards building equitable data practices in their agency.

This presentation from OHA will include information and recommendations for agencies seeking to procure data equity training services, and will guide attendees through OHA’s application of several data equity tools developed by WEALLCOUNT, a leading organization in the data equity space. The second part of the presentation will feature a panel discussion with analysts about their experience applying the tools – come ready to ask questions and learn from your colleagues.

​Organizers

  • Ritu Dhungana | Senior Policy Advisor, OHA
    Ritu is a Senior Policy Advisor at the Oregon Health Authority. She holds a PhD in Political Science from West Virginia University, specializing in International Political Economy. She recently served as Health Care Workforce Team Manager in the Health Policy and Analytics Division. Ritu previously coordinated the DELTA Program within the same division.
  • Elise Cordle-Kennedy | Chief Research, Analytics, and Data Officer, DELC
    Elise is the Chief Research and Data Officer at Oregon’s Department of Early Learning and Care where she manages a team of brilliant analysts, researchers, and data engineers to advance data-driven decision making for the agencies’ programs and priorities. Elise specializes in leading teams of researchers and analysts help state agencies and non-profits answer important questions about how their programs and initiatives serve Oregonians. Elise is passionate about building capacity and excitement to modernize government data systems, well designing and user-friendly data dashboard design, and making AI usage in the public sector safe, accessible, safe and less frightening. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and skiing the mountains of PNW.

​Presenters

  • Pablo Torrent (he/him/his) | HPA Analytics Technology and Data Equity Manager
    Pablo Torrent is the Analytics Technology and Data Equity Manager in the OHA/ Health Policy and Analytics Division. He has twenty-five years of leadership experience building multidisciplinary data and technology programs, projects, and teams in different sectors such as government, software, and telecommunications. Pablo leads the HPA Data Equity team and has a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity, which, along with his lived experiences in Spain and Oregon, shape and guide his passion for equity work.
  • Amanda Peden | Manager, Social Health Needs and Analytics Projects, HPA, OHA
    Amanda Peden is the manager for the Social Health Needs and Analytics Projects, or “SHNAP,” team in the Health Policy and Analytics Division at OHA. Amanda has worked in public service policy and analytics for over 10 years and before that worked in non profits in the public health sector. She has had a long commitment to and focus on the social drivers of health and equity, and the intersection between Medicaid and social needs services. She loves supporting a data team, especially as the team works to integrate data equity throughout our work.
  • Vida Echaluse | Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) Research Data Analyst, HPA, OHA
    Vida Echaluse is the HRSN Research Data Analyst in the Health Policy and Analytics Division with the Social Health Needs and Analytics Projects team. She is supporting the Health-Related Social Needs program which is part of the 1115 Medicaid Wavier through data monitoring, reporting and dashboard development. Her experience ranges from clinical to environmental research within healthcare and public health.
  • Natasha Fowler | Health Related Social Needs Analytics Policy Analyst, HPA, OHA
    Natasha Fowler is the Health Related Social Needs (HRSN) Policy Analyst in the Health Policy and Analytics Division with the Social Health Needs and Analytics Projects team. She supports the HRSN program within the 1115 Medicaid Waiver through policy and program analysis and contract and grant development. She brings over 10 years of experience in health-related research and grant management, with a focus on programs that advance health equity and address systemic disparities in health access, care, and outcomes.
  • Suniya Farooqui- Health Needs and Analytics Projects, Lead Research Analyst, HPA, OHA
    Suniya Farooqui is the Lead Research Analyst in the Health Policy and Analytics Division with the Social Health Needs and Analytics Projects team. She is supporting the Health-Related Social Needs program which is part of the 1115 Medicaid Wavier through data monitoring and reporting and dashboard development. She brings over ten years of extensive experience in applied research and program evaluation, with a focus on mixed-methods research, quantitative analysis, survey design, and community-based participatory research.
  • Paige Snow | Children and Youth Medicaid Data Research Analyst, HPA, OHA
    Paige Snow is the Children and Youth Medicaid Research Analyst in the Health Policy and Analytics Division at OHA. Over the past six years, she has supported numerous programs through data reporting, visualization, and dashboard development. She now applies her expertise in data analysis and health policy to advance Medicaid children and young adult health initiatives in Oregon.

​Come share your story and connect with each other! This is an informal drop-in session for connection and storytelling. Whether you are deeply involved in data work or just starting to explore how data shows up in your role, we want to hear your data journey. How are you using data, or thinking about ways data can be used to support communities and advance equitable data practices? Join us to learn from one another, build connections and find inspiration in each other's work.​

​This session aims to build collective understanding and solidarity around the evolving challenges of data sharing across State agencies and their partners in Oregon. With a focus on elevating diverse perspectives, we'll explore the current landscape of data organization, legal considerations, and the real-world impacts on communities.

Through a moderated panel discussion, we'll dive into key questions:
  • What are the current challenges State agencies face in data sharing?
  • What best practices and strategies are emerging to navigate these complexities?
Participants will gain insights into the realities shaping data work today, hear directly from leaders in the field, and have the opportunity to engage through a moderated Q&A.


Organizers
​
  • Jill Scantlan | Data and Evaluation Advisor, Office for Community Health and Engagement, OHA
    ​Jill Scantlan has 15 years of experience working in US and Global Health. She has a master's in science in social epidemiology from University College London. Her career has focused on using evidence to drive change—from translating research into policy at OHSU's Center for Evidence-Based Policy to evaluating global programs at Mercy Corps. She recently joined of Office of Community Health and Engagement as the ​Data and Evaluation Advisor. Jill lives in Portland, Oregon with her partner and daughter.

  • Matthew Friesen | REALD Manager, ODHS
    Matt Friesen has 30 years of experience in the not-for-profit, academic, public service and equity fields. A recovering Mennonite pastor, community organizer, and university professor, Matt completed his PhD in Sociology at the University of Oregon in 2014. He has served as the REALD and SOGI Data Manager in the Office of Equity and Multicultural Services at ODHS since 2020. Matt is an avid reader, hiker, Corgi-wrangler and is putting the finishing touches on his second book.

  • Elise Cordle Kennedy | Chief Research and Data Officer, Dept. Early Learning and Care
    Elise is the Chief Research and Data Officer at Oregon's Department of Early Learning and Care where she manages a team of brilliant analysts, researchers, and data engineers to advance data-driven decision making for the agencies' programs and priorities. Elise specializes in leading teams of researchers and analysts help state agencies and non-profits answer important questions about how their programs and initiatives serve Oregonians. Elise is passionate about building capacity and excitement to modernize government data systems, well designing and user-friendly data dashboard design, and making AI usage in the public sector safe, accessible, safe and less frightening. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing and skiing the mountains of PNW.

Panelists
  • Sam Kaan | Chief Data Officer, Oregon Department of Human Services
    Samantha (Sam) Kaan has 17 years of experience in public service at county and state levels, across health, housing, and human services. Trained as a public health generalist, Sam's career has spanned data strategy, health system transformation, health promotion and prevention program development, emergency response, and community engagement. Currently, Sam serves as the Chief Data Officer for the Oregon Department of Human Services. Her role involves helping ODHS grow its data maturity by building data governance, developing data fluency, and supporting responsible and equity-focused innovation with AI. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her partner and two young children.

  • Steve Westberg |  Director of Data Strategy and Operations, OHA
    Steve Westberg​ has worked in the healthcare and startup spaces, and as an MBA and recovering CPA understands the value of using data to make informed decisions. Steve has been helping guide Oregon Health Authority on its journey to make better human-centered, data-informed decisions to eliminate health inequities. Aside from his professional contributions and accomplishments, Steve knows how to make you smile and is the proud father of two adult children.

  • Jon McDaid | Deputy Director, Office of Community Health and Engagement, Oregon Health Authority
    Jon McDaid M.A. (master's in counseling with emphasis on Marriage Family and Child Therapy) from the University of San Francisco has been working to improve the health of individuals and our communities for the last 30 years. In 1986 Jon began as an outreach worker to teen dads at Insights Teen Parent Program helping young dads navigate the complexities of being a new parent. Since then, Jon has gone on to work with heroin addicts in San Francisco, sexually abused teenage girls in a group home setting, and sexuality education in the schools' helping adolescents make healthy choices and has maintained a private practice off and on over the years. In more recent years Jon has worked in the state family planning program, the Healthy Kids program and currently works as the deputy director within the Office of Community Health and Engagement (OCHE). Throughout this diversity of experience, he has found the use of data to be imperative to inform and help direct us as we move forward in our work.

    When not working Jon is a fid​​dle player having played in many different bands over the years and also is an active magician performing at parties and fund-raising events.

  • Alma Ponce | Senior Regional Outreach Coordinator, Office for Community Health and Engagement, OHA
    Alma Ponce, born and raised in Eastern Oregon, brings 13 years of healthcare experience and a strong commitment to community-centered work, shaped by her upbringing as the daughter of immigrants and early jobs in diners and agriculture. Her professional background includes work with Federally Qualified Health Centers, Rural Health Clinics, assisted living communities, and the Oregon Health Authority's Office of Community Health and Equity (OHA–OCHE), where she has focused on expanding access to care and improving systems for underserved populations. Passionate about elevating rural and minority voices, Alma thrives in fast-paced, high-impact roles. Outside of work, she's a wife, mother of five, outdoor enthusiast, sports mom, houseplant lover, thriller reader, and true crime podcast fan.

Organizers

  • Meenakshi Rao (Data Equity Consultant, DAS) 
  • Leela Richman (Data Governance Lead, OHA)

Oregon State agencies are custodian to a massive amount of data, representing services provided to and personal information about communities across the state. To meet executive branch requirements of meeting customer expectations, state agencies have to develop consistent data governance for managing data equitably throughout its lifecycle while simultaneously ensuring that these practices can evolve and adapt to the rapidly changing data landscape.

In this session, we will hear from speakers from 4 different agencies as they focus on 4 different aspects of data governance to build the foundations of equity and evolution into their practices, leaving plenty of time for Q&A and discussion.

Panelists:

  • Leela Richman (Data Governance Lead, OHA) will talk about developing an ODHS-OHA spanning data governance council. Leela is a lifelong Oregonian whose passion for helping people and statistics came together at the Oregon Health Authority. Her experience across multiple divisions and programs gives her an enterprise perspective on systems and data.

  • Cheri Freedman (Data Librarian, ODOT) will share the process of building and maintaining an up-to-date data inventory. Cheri has 30 years of experience working in the private sector supporting federal and state government agencies and recently moved into the public sector to continue this work. Her experience as an analyst and coordinator in a variety of industries has helped fuel her passion for developing data systems and programs, meeting people where they are, and supporting their growth.

  • Nancy Curtis (Manager of Data Management Services, OED) will tell us about the importance of data literacy in facing the challenges of a changing data landscape. Nancy Curtis leads Data Management and Data Governance services for the Oregon Employment Department, which was recently recognized with a State CIO Award for their Data Governance Program ​Implementation Project.  She led the development of data governance at Walt Disney World and continues to adapt those principles and practices to a variety of business information challenges, including data literacy at a broader and deeper scale than ever before.

  • Elise Cordle-Kennedy (Chief Research, Analytics and Data Officer, DELC) will discuss the challenges of building an architecture to support equity and resilience

​There will be time for Q&A and discussion following the panelists presentations.

​Come share your story and connect with each other! This is an informal drop-in session for connection and storytelling. Whether you are deeply involved in data work or just starting to explore how data shows up in your role, we want to hear your data journey. How are you using data, or thinking about ways data can be used to support communities and advance equitable data practices? Join us to learn from one another, build connections and find inspiration in each other's work.​

​Committee members

  • Elise Cordle-Kennedy (Chief Research, Analytics, and Data Officer, DELC)
  • Matthew Friesen (REALD Manager, ODHS)
  • Meenakshi Rao (Data Equity Consultant, DAS)
  • Rebecca Knight-Alvarez (Senior Data Strategy and Partnership Advisor, Data Office, OHA)
  • Ritu Dhungana (Senior Policy Advisor, OHA)
  • Stephanie Gluck (Senior Research Analyst, ODE)

​This session features a dynamic panel of community engagement practitioners who will share insights on building meaningful bridges with communities amid today's complex federal landscape—where trust, transparency, and collaboration are more essential than ever. It will also include a conversation with the core planning committee of the Data Equity Summit, reflecting on their experience breaking down institutional silos and cultivating cross-agency connections to elevate community perspectives in data equity work. Participants will gain practical strategies for co-creation, inclusive engagement, and sustaining partnerships that honor lived experience. This session offers a unique opportunity to learn directly from those leading the charge—and to join a growing movement that places community at the center of data-driven transformation.

Organizers

  • Harriett Godoski (Regional Engagement Specialist, REALD and SOGI, OHA)
​Based in Bend, Harriett joined Oregon Health Authority's Field Operations team during the COVID-19 pandemic response, se​rving a large geographic area in Central and South-Central Oregon with equity focused COVID-19 testing and vaccination events. Prior to joining the OHA, she has worked with Federally Qualified Health Centers since 2004. Harriett holds a BA in Biology and a secondary teaching credential from Gonzaga University. Harriett has a passion for social justice, especially for the Latinx community, and has done a year of service in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and two in Sonoma County, California where she got to improve her Spanish language skills. She is a mother to a kindergartener and two spotlight stealing felines.
  • ​Stephanie Gluck (Senior Research Analyst, ODE)

Stephanie ChenWu Gluck is a Senior Research Analyst at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) in the Office of Research, Assessment, Data, Accountability, and Reporting. Trained as a developmental psychologist, she utilizes quantitative and qualitative methods to support research efforts that foster equity and excellence in learning for Oregon's students. Currently, her work focuses on uplifting the state's focal student groups and advancing the implementation of the Education Accountability Act. 

  • Mickie Derting (Housing Programs Director, Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council & REALD & SOGI Workgroup member) 

​Mickie Derting serves as Director of Housing Programs in Central Oregon, where she supports regional strategies to strengthen collaboration across housing, homelessness response, and intergovernmental partnerships. Drawing on over 14 years in local government and 15 years in the private sector, she brings deep policy expertise, strategic leadership, and collaborative problem-solving to advance equitable outcomes for communities. Mickie holds an MBA in Sustainability and contributes to federal and state advisory bodies working to advance equity, inclusive governance, and public engagement.

  • Kaj Jensen (Health Equity Team Project Facilitator, Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office & REALD & SOGI Workgroup member) 

Kaj has called the Portland area home for more than a decade, and worked with some amazing community-based organizations like Outside In and East County Rising in Portland, before joining the Oregon Advocacy Commissions Office team. They completed a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Brighton in England and a Master’s in Linguistics and Composition Theory with a TESOL certificate at the University of Nebraska Omaha. When not spoiling their cat, Humboldt Anning, they most often can be found spying on birds, collecting rocks or researching less-told stories of places they love.​

​Organizers: Data Equity Summit Planning Committee

Committee members

  • Elise Cordle-Kennedy (Chief Research, Analytics, and Data Officer, DELC)
  • Matthew Friesen (REALD Manager, ODHS)
  • Meenakshi Rao (Data Equity Consultant, DAS)
  • Rebecca Knight-Alvarez (Senior Data Strategy and Partnership Advisor, Data Office, OHA)
  • Ritu Dhungana (Senior Policy Advisor, OHA)
  • Stephanie Gluck (Senior Research Analyst, ODE)

In this collaborative session, we will reflect on key takeaways from the 2025 Summit and explore ways to grow our collective approach to making data more inclusive. What activities would best support you in the year ahead as you continue your data journey? Whether it is workshops, reading groups, or community of practice, come share your ideas and help us co-create what comes next!