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Anika Vartan has more than 20 years of experience designing, implementing, and evaluating public health and international development programs to improve access to—and quality of—health care, and increase community participation in social, economic, and political life. Vartan’s expertise is in mixed-methods and qualitative research, project management, health policy analysis, capacity building, adult education and technical assistance, organizational assessment and development, and community-driven development. She has supported the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Federal Drug Administration (FDA), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and Department of State (DOS) clients.

Arun Asok is a seasoned impact investor with 15 years of experience investing in and managing a portfolio of impact enterprises across Asia and Africa, particularly those focused on healthcare, financial services, and energy access.  As a senior advisor in Abt’s International Development Division, Arun leads mobilizing private capital and structuring impact investments for various client projects. More broadly, he leads Abt’s private capital and impact investment strategy and execution, and convenes thought leadership activities to champion private capital as a tool for inclusive growth and social and economic wellbeing. Arun’s expertise spans fund structuring, investment management, portfolio management, and business operations while forging public-private partnerships between UN organizations, ministries, developmental institutions, and commercial investors.

James Gilling, regional vice president, East Asia and Pacific, has 35 years of experience in social and economic development in low- and middle-income countries. He has overseen Australian aid programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars and managed large teams of Australian and overseas staff, including as head of the Australian aid program in Indonesia. James has worked for United Kingdom (UK) and Papua New Guinea governments as an agricultural economist. He has also worked as a consultant economist with Oxford Policy Management in the UK and was an economic analyst with the Office of National Assessments in Australia.

Andrew Keck is a global development executive with more than 30 years of experience designing and delivering complex programs in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. He has in-depth experience in agriculture market systems development, climate change adaptation, forestry and natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation.  Keck has lived for 13 years in Madagascar and Senegal, leading large and complex projects focused on conservation and forestry and agricultural value chains and economic growth, respectively.

Catherine Hersey, a senior associate, is a seasoned health services researcher and project manager with over 15 years of experience in both Medicare and Medicaid. Her research areas include the implementation and evaluation of accountable care organizations and other alternative payment models, maternal health, substance use disorder, meaningful use of electronic health records, and hospital-acquired infections. Hersey also has experience in quality measurement and improvement. In addition, she has experience in both quantitative and qualitative analyses and managing large and complex projects.

Larry Weinstock is a highly skilled program manager and regulatory professional with extensive experience in a range of federal program leadership roles. During his 30-plus years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Weinstock worked on a wide variety of environmental issues, programs and cross-Agency initiatives, including innovative Clean Air Act programs, environmental justice, energy, climate, environmental sustainability, nuclear waste disposal, enforcement, and organizational improvement. He also facilitated collaboration among various departments, offices, and all involved stakeholders. Weinstock has used his wide range of EPA experience, creativity, and knowledge in a range of fields, including law, science, policy, and economics to craft innovative and effective program strategies.

Allison Dymnicki has 19 years of experience in designing, directing, and conducting research, evaluation, and technical assistance projects aimed at promoting youth development, behavioral health, and wellbeing, with a particular focus on school, community, and out-of-school settings. She is deeply committed to promoting positive outcomes for all youth, particularly populations who have been historically underserved or are under-resourced. She has partnered with federal agencies like the National Institute of Justice, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Department of Education, as well as foundations, state and local educational agencies, and non-profit organizations. Much of her work focuses on developing researcher practitioner partnerships intended to elevate diverse perspectives, practitioner viewpoints, and youth voices. 

Natalie Matthews has over 15 years of experience in the field of homelessness, with a focus on direct service, system planning, database administration, and technical assistance and implementation (TA). Since joining Abt in 2009, Matthews has served in a variety of roles on its U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Compass TA cooperative agreements. She’s also worked on several locally and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-funded TA projects, as well as research, monitoring and evaluation projects.  She served as the project director for the VA’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) monitoring project, served on the evaluation team for HUD’s first evaluation of rapid re-housing programs for families (2012), and led the evaluation of Hartford Connecticut’s homelessness prevention and rapid re-housing program (2014).

Natalie Arthur is a public health consultant with 20 years of experience working across health and human services sectors in Australia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, United Kingdom, and United Arab Emirates. Natalie has led numerous complex program evaluation, review, and service development projects for Commonwealth, Australian state and territory government, and non-government organizations. She specializes in health, mental health, and disability. Natalie led the data scenario modelling of a further eight health service plans in Victoria and South Australia. As she worked on more than 40 projects, she built invaluable technical and project management experience supporting clients through the translation of complex methodologies into clear, utilization-focused recommendations.