1. How would you describe your professional career to date?
After I finished my master’s degree, I took a job in DC with a statistical agency, working as an economist/analyst. My section was responsible for ensuring data accuracy for a household survey, which covered income, demographics, and expenditures. The data were rich… there were several thousand variables in total, so it was a good place to start building programming and analysis skills. About halfway through my tenure there, I transitioned into a role that more geared towards projects. I was able to work on process improvement projects for the systems and manage research projects that helped improve data quality. Since joining Pantheon, I’ve had a good mix of technical work including analysis, research, and project management.
2. How did your prior work experiences set you up for success at Pantheon?
Working at a stats and data shop taught me a lot. I learned the importance of building reliable data systems, how to turn data into actionable intelligence, and about the importance of continuous learning. I emphasize these in my current work, and it is satisfying to see the results.
3. How long have you been with Pantheon?
I started in the fall of 2019, so it has been nearly 3 years now.
4. What are your favorite parts of working at Pantheon?
The problems we are tasked to work on are interesting and challenging, but the people I work with are great, and that is what I enjoy most.
5. Are you able to apply any of your other interests to Pantheon?
Definitely. I enjoy analysis, programming, and working with data. We have no shortage of data, and I’ve been able to use and grow these skills with my work.
6. How have you seen your efforts and those of the other Pantheon associates deliver value to our Department of Navy Customers?
Yes. I’ve focused a lot on building tools to both process data and turn data into deliverables for our customer. The results of these efforts are accurate data and timely metrics, both of which benefit our Navy customers. I’ve also had the opportunity to take some additional graduate courses in statistics while at Pantheon, and I’ve been able to apply the skills learned in these courses to improve both our own processes and the data products that go to the clients.
7. What do you see as the next steps for Pantheon’s support for your customer?
Continuous improvement and research that drives actionable intelligence to the program office.