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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.

About the summit ScheduleEvent details Sponsors Beyond the Summit 2025 Summit

The 3rd Annual State of Oregon Data Equity Summit Planning Team is thrilled to welcome Dr. Kelly Gonzalez, PhD, MPH as this year's Keynote Speaker!

Dr. Kelly Gonzales, PhD, MPH, is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, Founder and Executive Director of the Indigenous Health Equity Institute, and a tenured Associate Professor at the OHSU–Portland State University School of Public Health. She created the nation's first undergraduate concentration in Indigenous Health within an accredited school of public health and is nationally engaged in advancing Indigenous health equity, data and knowledge sovereignty, and the transformation of public health systems. Her work centers Indigenous knowledge and science to build more socially just approaches to research and public health practice, particularly at the intersections of land, human health, self-determination, Indigenous resurgence, and allyship.

Register for the Data Equity Summit


About the summit

des-lofo-left.pngState 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

  • ​Welcome: Nate Ramsey, State of Oregon Chief Data Officer, EIS
  • Opening Remarks: Liesl Wendt, Director of the Oregon Department of Human Services
  • Keynote: Dr. Kelly Gonzales, Founder and Executive Director of the Indigenous Health Equity Institute


Spanish translation will be provided for the Keynote presentation


​Speakers​

​What is Data Equity? Why is it Important for State Government? (Meenakshi Rao, Data Equity Consultant, EIS)

  • Meenakshi Rao works in the Data Governance & Transparency team to develop consistent data governance for managing data equitably throughout its lifecycle across state agencies. 
Building Equity through Data Literacy Training  (Michael Metiva, Chair, State of Oregon Research Academy, SORA)​​

  • Michael Metiva is the Research Analyst for the Oregon Department of Revenue’s Taxpayer Advocate Office. Michael’s work involves a mixture of big-picture analysis and individual case studies. He focuses on using data to tell the story of each problem, justify the need for change, and recommend the best available solutions. Michael began working for the Oregon state government in January 2022 and joined the State of Oregon Research Academy in 2023. He now serves as the chair of SORA, helping provide educational webinars to the membership and contributing to SORA’s Data Literacy Subcommittee. 

Data Equity in Practice: From Framework to application (Rachel Bruneau, Strategic Analyst, Data Analytics Division, OED)

  • Rachel Bruneau (she/her/hers), is a Stra​tegic Analyst with the Oregon Employment Department, currently on a job rotation with the agency’s Data Analytics team. In this role she helps lead the development of an agency wide performance scorecard project as part of OED’s Customer Service Initiative. Rachel’s work focuses on translating data into meaningful measures that help programs understand performance, improve services, and support better decision-making. She will return to her role in Equity following the rotation, where her work includes advancing equitable approaches to data and organizational practices. Rachel holds master’s degrees in Conflict Resolution and Curriculum and Instruction. 

Building Equity into Monitoring and Evaluation

  • Margaret J. F. Braun, PhD, is a program and Evaluation Policy Advisor within OHA's Public Health Division and Health Policy & Analytics Division. Margaret has worked in government service since 2008 and graduated from Portland State University with a PhD in Applied Psychology in 2012. Margaret started with the state working as a research analyst for the Oregon Department of Corrections, moving to the Oregon Youth Authority, Multnomah County Health Department, and now the Oregon Health Authority. Margaret's unit, Epidemiology, Evaluation, & Policy Research (EEPR), sits in the Public Health Division and functions as a soft-money organization focused on applied research and program evaluation for local and state government agencies. In her matrixed role within HPA, Margaret supports Oregon's 1115 OHP Waiver and other evaluation and monitoring projects.
  • Shubha Devadoss (She/Her) brings over a decade of experience managing Federal Programs. At OHA she manages the Monitoring and Evaluation of Oregon's 1115 OHP waiver. In this role, she oversees the management of the contract with independent evaluator and ensures the submission of OHP waiver monitoring data to CMS. Shubha and her team maintain capacity to provide monitoring and evaluation services for multiple programs within Health Policy and analytics division including the recent COVID-19 PHE CHIP evaluation report. In addition, Shubha served as the interim lead for the Rural Health Transformation Program's Data and Reporting workstream. Her team is comprised of evaluation advisors and research analysts who bring expertise in  program monitoring and evaluation activities. 
​


Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026

Speakers from: the Oregon Health Authority, Department of Early Learning and Care, and City of Portland​
​

  • Lizzy Tremaine (she/they), Research Analyst, Department of Early Learning and Care. Lizzy has a background in applied developmental psychology and quantitative and qualitative data analyses. In their role at DELC, Lizzy works to bridge data, research, and policy through science communication and story-telling, build DELC's capacity to understand and conduct research, and facilitate partnerships with other state agencies, external researchers, and local and regional partners. Lizzy loves to spend time in their garden with their partner and dogs.
  • Dylan Antovich (he/him), Senior Data Analyst, Department of Early Learning and Care. Dylan Antovich has a background in developmental psychology and has been a senior data analyst at the Department of Early Learning and Care for 5 years, with a focus on data governance, policy, and infrastructure. He lives in Portland and can be found biking and walking around the city for fun and food.
  • Stephen Berry (he/him), Lead Data Steward, Department of Early Learning and Care. Stephen Berry is the Lead Data Steward for the Department of Early Learning and Care. Prior to joining DELC he worked as a data analyst at the Oregon Department of Human Services and the Oregon Health Authority. He has a master's degree in Public Policy and Data Analytics from Carnegie Melon University. He lives in Portland with his Fiancé and their 4 cats. He enjoys reading, going to his local movie theater, and trying a new restaurant in his spare time. 
  • Sam Kaan (she/her), Chief Data Officer, Oregon Department of Human Services. Samantha (Sam) Kaan has nearly two decades 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, and emergency response. 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 literacy, and improving data access. Sam leads the ODHS Data Office, a new unit developed with the vision of equipping ODHS with timely, high-quality data to achieve equitable outcomes for the people of Oregon. She lives in Southeast Portland with her partner and two children.
  • Steve Westburg, Chief Data Officer, Oregon Health Authority. 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.
  • Hector Dominguez, Privacy and Surveillance Technologies Lead, City of Portland. Hector Dominguez (He/him) is the privacy and surveillance technologies lead in the Data and Privacy Office at the City of Portland, Oregon and has served as data and technology analyst and program coordinator since 2018. Hector has led initiatives on open data, privacy, surveillance technologies, smart cities, and automated decision systems, including AI, in the City. His work includes promoting and implementing digital rights, open data strategies, data governance, technology impact assessments, helping agencies to implement privacy and information protection practices, policy development, and designing surveillance technologies strategies and procedures.​
​


​Speakers

​
  • Erika Meng, Health Information Exchange (HIE) Program Lead. Erika Meng serves as the Health Information Exchange (HIE) Program Lead at the Oregon Health Authority, supporting statewide HIE planning, data governance, and collaboration across health programs. She also participates in the Data AI Workgroup, contributing to policy development for the use of Level 3 and Level 4 data. Erika brings experience across military, Tribal, and Medicaid healthcare settings. She has served in the Oregon Air National Guard for more than 20 years and currently serves as a Public Health Officer. Her previous roles include Public Health Director at a Tribal Health and Family Services facility and management of Nurse Case Management and Utilization Review for a coordinated care organization (CCO). She holds a master's degree in Population Health from Johns Hopkins University.
  • Amy Paul, AI Policy and Safety Advisor, EIS. Amy Paul serves as the AI Policy and Safety Advisor at the State of Oregon Enterprise Information Services, She has spent over a decade working at the intersection of emerging technology, policy, and global health and economic development. Amy's academic background is in public health policy and applied bioethics, and she entered the federal government through the AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship, where she worked on digital policy and responsible AI implementation at USAID. Since that time, she has held several federal government and senior consulting roles focused on responsible innovation and ethical technology deployment. Amy previously led strategy, research, and policy implementation initiatives for institutions including USAID, the Gates Foundation, and CDC, operating across government, philanthropy, and nonprofit sectors. 
  • Aaron Garber-Paul (he/they), Equity Data & Policy Analyst, City of Portland Office of Equity & Human Rights. Aaron Garber-Paul is a Data Scientist for good, providing technical support for data-driven strategy, development and policy design. He serves as Equity Data and Policy Analyst with the City of Portland's Office of Equity, and is a member of the Oregon Pride in Numbers community data project (Research & Data Committee). Aaron's background is in Sociology, particularly the intersection of public policy, community health and vulnerable populations, with advanced work in Machine Learning. Aaron represented the City of Portland in two Bloomberg Philanthropies' What Works Cities initiatives: Building Community Trust in AI (2024), and Auditing AI and Algorithms (2025); and he is an Aspen Policy Institute 2025-26 Rising Civic AI Leaders fellow. Driven by a lifelong passion for social justice and healthy communities, Aaron's current work includes building an interdisciplinary toolkit for assessing Equity impacts of emergent technology.
  • Francisco Guerrero, Senior Technical Analyst at the Oregon Water Resource Department. Francisco Jose is an environmental scientist and Senior Technical Analyst at the Oregon Water Resources Department, with more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of science, policy, and natural-resource management. His career spans environmental research, science communication, and technical leadership across Latin America and the United States. He previously served as an AAAS Mass Media Fellow reporting for CNN en Español and as a Science-Policy Fellow at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has also worked with the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) and COMPASS at UC Santa Barbara, and developed reproducible research workflows at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. His current work focuses on water-resource decision support, open data, and institutional capacity-building. He is particularly interested in how data governance, emerging technologies, and knowledge stewardship shape transparency, public participation, and equitable access to information. ​​





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

  • Lizzy Tremaine,  Research Analyst, Research, Analytics, and Data Office 

Oregon Department of Education 

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

Oregon Health Authority


Beyond the Summit:

Your insights from previous Data Equity Summit Reflection Sessions have been invaluable to us! This year, we are creating a dedicated Teams meeting to enable more interactivity and discussion. Join us for an informal Reflection Session on Thursday, October 29, from 10:00 a.m.-noon where participants will gather to share insights and imagine future opportunities to support data equity work throughout our State. Register for this informal post-Summit Reflection Session.




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!