Staff Directory
John Agosta, Ph.D.
Vice President at HSRI
JAgosta@hsri.org
Employed at HSRI since 1983, John has worked under contract with state and federal agencies on a variety of projects. He has worked on several projects related to individual budgeting allocation and cost modeling. Further, he has conducted analyses of state systems for people with developmental disabilities and has studied specific facets of the field such as supported employment, family support, self-advocacy, Medicaid funding trends and self-directed supports. He helped found the national Self Advocate Leadership Network and, more recently, The Riot!, a national e-newsletter designed with and for self-advocates.
Jon Fortune, Ed.D.
Policy Associate at HSRI
JFortune@hsri.org
Jon joined HSRI in 2006 and has focused on projects pertaining to state level strategic planning and cost allocation models. He has worked on all projects at HSRI related to setting person-centered budget allocations and restructuring provider reimbursement rates. Previously, he held a variety of senior management positions at the Wyoming Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Division. While there, he was the chief architect of the precedent- setting Wyoming DOORS model through which people with disabilities are assigned individual budgets based on their assessed needs and other factors.
Valerie Bradley, MS
President of HSRI
VBradley@hsri.org
Valerie has been the President of HSRI since its inception in 1976. She has directed numerous state and federal policy related projects that have contributed to the expansion, enhancement and responsiveness of services and supports to people with disabilities and their families. Ms. Bradley is the recent past Chair of the President’s Committee on Mental Retardation. She is also the Immediate Past of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Madeline Kimmich, DSW
Senior Research Fellow at HSRI
MKimmich@hsri.org
Employed at HSRI since 1987, Madeleine currently leads projects in child welfare and in developmental disabilities. Dr. Kimmich has been engaged in evaluation research and policy analysis of human services for over three decades. She has assisted decision-makers at federal, state, and local levels to work collaboratively with individuals and families to improve the effectiveness of programs targeted to low-income children and families, adolescents, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Kerri Melda, MA
Policy Associate at HSRI
KMelda@hsri.org
Kerri has been employed with the Human Services Research Institute since 1992. Her primary responsibilities include project leadership, personnel management, policy and statistical analyses, and provision of training and technical assistance. In 1996, Ms. Melda was awarded the Elizabeth Monroe Boggs Award for Young Leaders, presented by the United States President’s Committee on Mental Retardation.
Sarah Taub, MA
Policy Associate at HSRI
STaub@hsri.org
Sarah has worked at HSRI since 1996. She has worked on several projects at HSRI related to cost allocation and reimbursement. In addition, she is primarily responsible for managing the National Core Indicators (NCI), an effort to develop indicators and benchmarks of performance across state developmental disabilities service systems. She also works on various other projects related to quality management system development and program evaluation.
Karen Auerbach, Ph.D.
Research Associate at HSRI
KAuerbach@hsri.org
Karen joined HSRI in 2008 and has extraordinary skills related to research methods, data compilation, analysis and interpretation. Previous to joining HSRI, Karen has been engaged in evaluation research and analysis pertaining to variety of human service topics, such as substance use, delinquency, social roles and adolescent transition, and model use of educational technologies.
Drew Smith, BA
Policy Analyst at HSRI
DSmith@hsri.org
Drew works on a variety of projects at HSRI and is responsible for project coordination, data analysis and preparing reports and other publications. He is also engaged in self advocacy work such as further development of The Riot!, and various projects to help individuals with developmental and other disabilities.