2019 APDU Candidate Statements

Candidate for Treasurer: Mauricio Ortiz, Chief, Regional Income Division, US Bureau of Economic Analysis

I have served as Treasurer of APDU for the last four years while I have continued to work for the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).  At BEA I am Chief of the Regional Income Division where we produce state, metro area, and county statistics of GDP, personal income, personal consumption expenditures, and regional price parities.  Every day at work and in my interactions with APDU I am reminded of the importance of the U.S. federal statistical system and the many data it produces.  Public federal data plays a vital role in helping private and government decision makers make well informed decisions.  These important decisions move the economy forward at both the local and national level.

As a public data producer and disseminator, I am extremely excited to continue to be on the APDU board member.  I want to continue to engage with APDU members (users of public data); hear their concerns about the data; help them identify data they are looking for; educate them about current and new data; gather feedback on what kind of data is not currently available but is in demand; and most importantly learn and connect with other providers of public data.  APDU members are BEA’s customers and I want to meet and hear from as many BEA customers as possible.   I am thankful to APDU for the opportunity to continue to serve as a board member.

Candidate for Secretary: Beth Jarosz, Senior Research Associate, Population Reference Bureau

At PRB I work on a wide range of U.S. demographic topics, with a focus on subnational analysis. Prior to joining PRB, I served as Senior Demographer at the San Diego Association of Governments and later taught sociology at Pensacola State College. My publications are cross-disciplinary and span topics from inequality to mortality, as well as forecast and estimation methods—all have relied heavily on public data. Throughout my career I have been a champion of public data.

I believe one of the challenges facing any member organization, including APDU, is engaging with members (and attracting new members). Over the past year, as a member of the APDU Board, I served on the conference planning committee, helped to brainstorm and organize webinars, and assisted in advertising APDU events through a variety of social media channels (e.g. Twitter and LinkedIn). As Secretary, I will become the recorder of APDU Board motions and outcomes, and I will also continue my work brainstorming, testing, and implementing new communication channels and strategies to add value for existing members and to attract new members.

Candidate for At-Large Director: Katherine Wallman, Chief Statistician of the United States (retired)

My relationship with APDU extends almost to its founding; during my tenures as Executive Director of COPAFS and as Chief Statistician of the United States, I was a regular speaker at the association’s annual conference.  While these gatherings remain a signature event, the weekly newsletter and the webinars – more recent offerings – are particularly worthwhile. On the APDU Board I can forge and support collaborations with other complementary organizations, including several disciplinary associations as well as the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research, that share APDU’s concerns about the collection, dissemination, preservation, and interpretation of public data.

Candidate for At-Large Director: Amy O’Hara, Research Professor, Georgetown University

I would like to join the APDU board to improve data access and quality for members, researchers, and administrators. I would work towards establishing standards and norms for secure and responsible data use.  Our community needs to incorporate broader views of public data that feature state, local, and private sources; emphasize data utility when designing privacy protections; and promote the development of ethical reviews and social license with our data subjects.

Candidate for At-Large Director: Bernie Langer, Senior Data Analyst, PolicyMap

I am very excited about the possibility of continuing my involvement with APDU by joining its Board of Directors. As one of PolicyMap’s most senior data analysts, I have a deep and broad knowledge about federal statistical agencies and private data providers, as well as experience working with data and data users to solve problems. I’ve worked with data from the Census Bureau, BLS, IRS, SSA, HUD, USDA, FDIC, FBI, FCC, FEMA, DOT, NCES, EPA, SBA, and CDC, just to name a few. I’ve also led PolicyMap’s “Mapchats” webinar series, a forum for data providers and users to discuss their work.

I’ve attended many of APDU’s conferences and webinars and have found them invaluable. As a board member, I would be committed to maintaining the high quality of APDU’s services and events, finding additional ways for data providers and users to interact, and raising the profile of public data in society.