NCSL Staff Directory

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.

As a policy associate, Andrew Smalley works on postsecondary education topics and legislative tracking at NCSL. Prior to joining NCSL, he was a legislative intern for three years at the Colorado General Assembly, working with legislators and a lobbying firm. He received his MPP and a BA in political science and public policy from the University of Denver. 

Angela Andrews is the senior professional development partner with NCSL’s Legislative Training Institute, where she designs and delivers soft skill trainings to legislators and staff. Previously, she oversaw the Legislative Staff Management Institute (LSMI), the Legislative Staff Certificate Program and other professional development programs. She has worked in or for legislatures for almost 20 years. Before joining NCSL in 2008, Andrews was a legislative aide in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate. She received her master’s in public administration from Suffolk University in Boston and earned a training and facilitation certificate from the Association for Talent Development.

As a program principal in NCSL’s Employment, Labor and Retirement Program, Anna Petrini focuses on public employee pensions and retirement security issues. Before joining NCSL in 2013, she worked on various political organizing initiatives in Virginia and Colorado and covered a wide range of financial services issues, including high-cost credit, student loan debt and insurance at the Consumer Federation of America in Washington, D.C. Petrini received both her bachelor’s and law degrees from the University of Virginia.

As an associate director in the Criminal and Civil Justice Program, Anne Teigen oversees work related to juvenile justice, criminal records, human trafficking, civil justice and firearms policy. Teigen has 15 years of policy experience with NCSL and is a licensed attorney in the state of Colorado. She educates and informs state legislators and staff by providing testimony, convening meetings and writing reports on a wide array of criminal and civil justice policy areas.

As a senior policy specialist, Annie Kitch focuses on traffic safety and 911-related policy at NCSL. She comes to NCSL with experience in transportation policy, developing and facilitating process improvement trainings and connecting constituents with public services at all levels of government. As a promoter of informed governance, Kitch is dedicated to supporting all of NCSL’s members throughout their legislative journeys.