VAWA MEI STAFF

Maureen is a Policy Associate and the Associate Director of VAWA MEI.  For over twenty-five years, she has worked as an advocate, educator and project director in the fields of sexual/domestic violence and crime victim advocacy. During this time, she worked on numerous projects offering cross-disciplinary training, technical assistance, program evaluation, and support to those working with survivors, offenders, and children affected by violence.  For close to a decade, she served as Director of the Maine/New Hampshire Victim Assistance Academy, providing both content expertise and oversight of a multi-state, multi-level professional development program for advocates working with victims of crime.  Maureen has a particular passion for cross-systems work, supporting programs in identifying and minimizing barriers to integrated service delivery.  Outside of work, Maureen enjoys spending time with her family, learning new cooking techniques, and hiking in the beautiful Maine outdoors.

Hannah is a Research Associate with VAWA MEI. In addition to providing technical assistance and training to grantees, Hannah manages the data collection of all Formula grant program data, as well as the reviewing and cleaning of both Discretionary and Formula grantee data. Hannah’s prior experiences have led her to discover her drive toward detail-oriented evaluation of real-world problems and her passion for using data to improve communities. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and spending time outdoors with her partner and their dog.

Chelsea is a Technical Assistance and Data Specialist with VAWA MEI. Chelsea is a recent graduate of the University of Maine with a BS in Ecology and Environmental Science. While at UMaine, Chelsea was a research assistant and also has a wealth of experience working in the fast-paced service sector. She and her family (dog and cats included!) recently relocated to southern Maine and she is now enrolled in the Master of Policy, Planning, and Management program at the Muskie School.

Devon is a Research Analyst with VAWA MEI. Devon manages the development and production of the Biennial Reports to Congress and coordinates the design and implementation of distance learning and technical assistance opportunities for all OVW-funded program grantees. Prior to moving to Maine and joining VAWA MEI, Devon lived in Washington, D.C. where she was a lobbyist on peace and justice issues, with an emphasis on the federal budget. Outside of work, Devon enjoys going on adventures with various creatures, including dogs, goats, cows, and horses.

Alison is a Policy Associate with VAWA MEI. She manages the team’s internal operations and fiscal systems within the larger University requirements. She is part of the senior leadership of VAWA MEI and leads other sponsored research and evaluation projects within the Justice Policy program area of the Catherine Cutler Institute. Before joining VAWA MEI, Alison was an advocate for 20+ years at rape crisis centers in Washington, New Hampshire, and Maine. Alison led direct service programs, such as hotlines, support groups, and SARTs, that are supported by OVW funding. In her time away from work, she is grateful to be living in Maine, especially in the summer months.

Simran is the Senior Computer and Database Manager for VAWA MEI and assists with data cleaning and database development efforts. Simran brings more than seven years of IT experience and holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Applications. She is experienced in creating, implementing and unit testing databases. Along with operational research topics, she has taught C and C++ programming languages to the graduate and undergraduate students at Punjab Technical University Study Center, India. Outside of work, she likes spending time with her kids and cooking. 

Elisa Koehnlein is a Policy Analyst with VAWA MEI. Elisa coordinates the development and production of the Biennial Reports to Congress and contributes to other VAWA MEI deliverables. She also cleans and analyzes data and provides training and technical assistance to OVW grantees. Outside of work, Elisa enjoys exploring the Maine outdoors and spending time with her family and friends.

Sarah is a Research Associate who provides evaluation expertise, training and technical assistance to the VAWA MEI. She brings over a decade of research and evaluation experience, ranging from survey questionnaire and instrument development, evaluation and analytic work plan design, data analysis and interpretation, and development of project reports and papers. In her time outside of work, Sarah likes to garden, eat really good food, and play with her kids.

Andrew is a Technical Assistance and Data Specialist with VAWA MEI. In this role, he cleans and analyzes data reported by VAWA grantees and provides technical assistance to them. Before joining the VAWA MEI team, Andrew has worked many different jobs, from park maintenance and small business bookkeeping to online customer support and library staff. He is originally from Virginia and you can often find him working in the garden or relaxing with a knitting project while listening to a book.

Izzy is a Research Analysts with VAWA MEI. She cleans and analyzes data and provides technical assistance to grantees. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a research analyst at Troy Group, Inc., in Chicago, and as a graduate research assistant for the Center for Criminal Justice Research at Loyola University Chicago while pursuing a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology. In her spare time, she enjoys fishing, cooking, and spending time with her dog.

Alexa is a Policy Analyst with VAWA MEI. In this capacity, she provides technical assistance to discretionary and formula grantees, cleans and synthesizes data, and assists in the implementation of webinar training for grantees. Prior to joining the team, she was the manager of the Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Portland, Maine. In her spare time, Alexa likes to go antiquing and enjoys spending time with her wife Amy and their dogs, Archie and Fergus.

Elisabeth is a Senior Policy Associate and the Director of VAWA MEI. Elisabeth started her career in anti-violence work in Maine as a domestic violence hotline advocate, volunteer coordinator, and Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) coordinator. She returned to Maine after a decade in New York City, where she completed a Master’s in Public Health, focusing on policy and management. Elisabeth lives with her family in Portland. When she is not juggling working and parenting, she enjoys building community and practicing mediocre piano.

Casey is a Research Analyst with VAWA MEI. Casey provides technical assistance to grantees, develops technical assistance tools, and cleans and analyzes data; specifically, she oversees the data analysis process for Discretionary grant programs as well as the STOP and SASP Formula grants. Prior to joining VAWA MEI, Casey worked in the social services field providing in-home and community support to youth and their families.