NCSL Staff Directory

As director of the NCSL Foundation for State Legislatures, Caroline Carlson oversees fundraising efforts that now top $3 million, board director engagement and award management. Carlson has been with the organization for 21 years, 18 of them leading fundraising efforts. An admirer of the public policy process, Carlson received her master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington and her bachelor’s in political science from James Madison University in Virginia. 

Emily Peterson joins the NCSL Foundation as a development specialist, supporting efforts to promote NCSL’s work from the Denver office. She comes to NCSL with experience in higher education development and holds a master’s degree in public affairs with a concentration in nonprofit management. She recently had an article published on human research management in the nonprofit sector. 

As manager of advertising/sales on the NCSL Foundation team, Janet Berlo-McCluskey focuses on creating opportunities for organizations to interact with our members through advertising, exhibit space and event sponsorships. Berlo-McCluskey comes to NCSL with more than 20 years of experience developing sales and marketing solutions for customers in varied business sectors to connect with an audience and achieve results. She earned an M.A. in management from Webster University and a B.A. in English from Santa Clara University. 

Judy Castaneda is the senior program coordinator for the NCSL Foundation. Castaneda served as a program and administrative coordinator before joining NCSL and studied at Seattle University, where she earned a bachelor’s in psychology.