NCSL Staff Directory

As an associate director in the Environment, Energy and Transportation Program, Aaron Ray leads NCSL’s Energy Program. Previously, Ray served in the Colorado governor’s office and the White House Office of Management and Budget. He has expertise in energy, environmental and natural resources policy and received his Ph.D. in environmental policy and politics from American University.

As a policy associate, Alex McWard supports the Environment, Energy and Transportation Program by conducting legislative research. His research is primarily focused on renewable energy, emissions, energy efficiency, building electrification and tribal energy. McWard studied public policy at both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of Denver's Josef Korbel School of International Studies. 

As the program coordinator for the Employment, Labor and Retirement Program, Alicia Natwick supports planning, communication, budget, tracking and operations initiatives. Natwick comes to NCSL with 12 years of experience as a U.S. Army logistics officer and training subject matter expert. She earned a graduate degree from CU Boulder and was featured as a presenter at the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Conference in 2018 for her work in outdoor recreation ethics. 

Alise Garcia supports NCSL’s Health Program as a program coordinator. Garcia has over 25 years of experience with NCSL in numerous areas. She is dedicated to providing superior customer service and meeting coordination to the organization’s staff and constituents.

In her role as an associate director in the Criminal and Civil Justice Program, Alison Lawrence oversees projects on policing, pretrial release, community supervision, jails, corrections budgets and criminal justice data. Lawrence also staffs the Law, Criminal Justice and Public Safety Standing Committee and has 14 years of experience with NCSL. She earned her masters of public administration from the University of Colorado. 

As a policy specialist Alison May focuses on early care and learning topics including home visiting and paid family leave. May has more than a decade of experience implementing and coordinating NCSL’s Early Childhood Fellows program. She is dedicated to supporting legislators and legislative staff as they consider policy options connected to child and family well-being. 

As a program principal in NCSL’s Criminal and Civil Justice Program, Amanda Essex focuses on corrections and sentencing, community supervision, corrections budgets, criminal justice data and immigration. Essex also staffs the Task Force on Immigration and the States and has nearly nine years of experience with NCSL. She earned a bachelor’s in political science from Colorado State University, holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and is a member of the Colorado bar.

Amanda (Mandy) Zoch researches election administration, statewide ballot measures and the initiative process for NCSL’s Elections and Redistricting Program. Zoch comes to NCSL with experience in local campaigns, communications and education. She earned a Ph.D. in English from Indiana University and a B.A. from Carleton College.

As program principal in NCSL’s Criminal and Civil Justice Program, Amber Widgery has national expertise in front-end criminal justice policy, including law enforcement and pretrial release. Widgery has nearly 10 years of experience at NCSL, tracking and analyzing legislation, testifying for legislative bodies and writing on important criminal justice legislative trends and hot topics. Widgery received her bachelor’s in political science and history from Colorado State University, holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Colorado Law School and is a member of the Colorado bar.

Andrea Jimenez works on tax policy as a member of the fiscal affairs program. Previously, Jimenez spent time at the Connecticut Legislature as an intern during the 2020 legislative session. She is dedicated to advancing NCSL’s mission to strengthen state legislatures.