About Us
Essentialdata.us is a collaborative effort to document the value of federal data for everyday Americans. These use cases support federal agency implementation of the bipartisan Evidence Act of 2018, which requires that agencies understand “how data users value and use government data".
This collection wouldn't be possible without the contributions of federal data users and stakeholders like you.
The Core Team
Denice Ross
Former U.S. Chief Data Scientist
Denice's mission is to build a more resilient national data infrastructure. Most recently, she served as the Deputy U.S. Chief Technology Officer and as the U.S. Chief Data Scientist, where she led the charge to use disaggregated data to drive better outcomes for all Americans. Denice's 25-year career using data to serve the public interest has spanned federal and local government, academia, and the nonprofit sector plus domains ranging from climate to policing.
Chris Dick
Former Chief, Population Evaluation, Analysis & Projections Branch, United States Census Bureau
Chris' mission is to ensure the provision of essential data for the betterment of all. Chris' 15 year career has included work in the federal government, the private sector, and as a consultant to federal, state, and local governments as well as non-profit organizations. As a demographer and data scientist, his work has always centered on the development and use of data to engage and serve the public.
Amanda Alvarez
Amanda is a data and computational scientist who has addressed challenges across multiple domains over a 20-year career. As a committed proponent of data accessibility, she has brought her technical expertise to both the private sector and public interest initiatives. Her work has informed policy decisions, supported advocacy efforts, advanced scientific research, and created solutions that improve outcomes across commercial, educational, and civic spaces.
Beth Jarosz
Beth has 25 years of experience in demographic and socioeconomic analysis to support public policy. She has expertise in the decennial census, American Community Survey, and indicators of health and well-being. She is active in the federal statistical community and has a long history of working with California data (from both state and federal sources) across a wide variety of subjects ranging from air quality to school enrollment to industry employment.
Katina Stapleton
Katina’s mission is to make research and public information clear and useful for the people it’s meant to serve. She spent two decades at the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences, leading national research and training programs and creating opportunities for underrepresented scholars and minority-serving institutions. Katina also co-led plainlanguage.gov and the federal Plain Language Community of Practice, leadership that earned her the Service to the Citizen Award for helping agencies communicate clearly.
Melanie Klein
Melanie is a data scientist and recent graduate of American University with a focus on the intersection of data, technology, and policy. She has both technical and policy experience in the executive and legislative branches, the nonprofit sector, and academia.
Ben Gradeck
Ben is a web developer and recent graduate from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in Computer Science and Human-Centered Design. He’s interested in designing engaging, accessible websites for government and non-profit organizations. While working with Pittsburgh’s local government, Ben developed a foundation in data governance and improving public access to open data.
Audrey Denson
Audrey Denson is passionate about collaborating with organizational teams to communicate brands with clarity and impact. Her work spans branding, social media campaigns, data visualization, publications, websites, and strategic communications for research, public policy, advocacy, and nonprofit organizations. Audrey partners closely with clients to create thoughtful design solutions that make information more accessible, strengthen engagement, and support meaningful outcomes.
