NCSL Staff Directory

As an associate director in the Education Program, Ashley Wallace leads NCSL’s work on afterschool, summer learning, student mental health, social and emotional learning, and other whole child education policy topics. Before joining NCSL in 2008, Wallace was a legislative director for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and later worked in federal relations for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Save the Children. She has degrees in international studies and diplomacy and foreign affairs from Miami University.

As senior legislative director for education policy, Austin Reid oversees NCSL’s federal education policy work, which includes staffing the NCSL Standing Committee on Education and representing NCSL’s education interests before Congress and the administration. Prior to joining NCSL, Reid worked in the U.S. Senate and at the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. He began his career as a high school teacher and has an Ed.M. in education policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

As a policy specialist in NCSL’s Education Program, Autumn Rivera focuses on policy issues related to afterschool, summer learning, LGBTQ+ students, whole child learning and school climate. Rivera comes to NCSL with experience working in after-school and summer learning programs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in justice systems at Truman State University and a master’s degree in applied human rights from the University of York.

In her role as an editor in the Communications Division, Bakara Johnson supports the state-federal staff in the Washington, D.C., office by editing digital communications. Johnson has been a staff member with NCSL for over 15 years and has gained experience from the varying positions of responsibility she has held within the organization, including gaining expertise in her current role. She is committed to meeting the varying needs of NCSL’s members. 

Brian Wanko focuses on the federal budget process, public finance, income taxes, pensions, post-employment benefits and federal and state revenues and taxes. He comes to NCSL with experience in federal administration and congressional oversight, budget and appropriations processes, and as a liaison between stakeholders and government agencies. Prior to joining NCSL, he worked for the U.S. House of Representatives House Foreign Affairs Committee and for two membership coalitions: the Council of the Americas and InterAction. He earned a master’s degree from George Mason University and a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. He believes in NCSL’s mission to ensure state legislatures have a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.

Brooke Oleen Tieperman supports NCSL’s Environment, Energy and Transportation Program and NCSL’s Task Force on Military and Veterans Affairs. She has 15 years of experience at NCSL and works in partnership with the U.S. Defense and Energy departments, bringing expertise in state-tribal policy. She staffs the DOE’s Indian Country Energy and Infrastructure Working Group, whose delegates include tribal leaders and technical staff from across the country. 

As associate program director of Marketing, Caren Henderson is responsible for the strategic direction and execution of marketing efforts for NCSL. Henderson comes to NCSL with more than 25 years of experience in marketing and communications with a special focus on health and public health. With a strong commitment to public service, she spent the majority of her career working for not-for-profit organizations and is especially proud of her work helping launch Colorado’s health insurance exchange as part of the Affordable Care Act.

Carole Wellmann supports marketing and member outreach in coordinating and executing integrated marketing plans to promote NCSL meetings, events, services and policy deliverables. Wellmann comes to NCSL with technical experience in executing strategic marketing and communication plans. She is dedicated to resolving complex problems in a creative manner.

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. 

As the director of Legislative Staff Services, Carrie Maulin leads the NCSL team dedicated to supporting legislative staff across the country. Maulin comes to NCSL after 10 years with the Idaho House of Representatives, where she was chief clerk, chief legislative officer and parliamentarian. Her current role gives her the opportunity to bring her legislative knowledge to a larger audience and support legislative institutions across the U.S. and territories.

As a policy specialist, Carrington Skinner supports the Center for Results-Driven Governing’s work of helping states use data and evidence to inform decision making. Skinner comes to NCSL with experience as an assistant attorney general at the North Carolina Department of Justice and as a session counsel at the Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research. Skinner earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Charlie Severance-Medaris supports NCSL’s public health work as a senior policy specialist for the Health Program. He has previous experience in health policy through work at many Colorado nonprofits. Severance-Medaris is an expert in state policies relating to suicide prevention, drug misuse and overdose prevention and infectious disease prevention.