Staff
DEDRICK ASANTE-MUHAMMAD
President
Dedrick Asante-Muhammad is the president of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. For the past 20 years, Asante-Muhammad has dedicated his career to understanding and tackling racial and economic inequities. Asante-Muhammad joins the Joint Center from the Racial Economic Equity and Research at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) where he was vice president. During Asante-Muhammad’s tenure at NCRC, he oversaw fair lending, fair housing, the Women’s Business Center of DC, the National Training Academy, the Housing Counseling Network, and started the Racial Economic Equity Department. As chief of Membership, Policy, and Equity at NCRC, Asante-Muhammad oversaw Membership, Organizing, Research, and Policy.
Asante-Muhammad has worked at many of the nation’s top national non-profit advocacy organizations. Before joining NCRC, Asante-Muhammad served as director, senior fellow, and founder of the Racial Wealth Divide Initiative for Prosperity Now. Before this role, he worked as the senior director for Economic Programs at the NAACP; an associate fellow for the Institute for Policy Studies; was a Racial Wealth Divide coordinator for United for a Fair Economy; and served as Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network National field director.
While at United for a Fair Economy, Asante-Muhammad co-founded the State of the Dream report, an annual publication honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., that examines the state of racial and economic inequality in the U.S. Asante-Muhammad has continued to be a co-author, providing analysis in publications, including “The Road to Zero Wealth” and “Ten Solutions to Bridge the Racial Wealth Divide.” Over the years, Asante-Muhammad has also become a thought leader in diversity, inclusion, and procurement, as reflected in the Opportunity and Diversity series and the “Racial and Ethnic Representation and Investment Framework for the Banking Industry.”
Previous to his work at national non-profits, Asante-Muhammad worked in higher education at Williams College, Oberlin College, and Morgan State University. He also helped coordinate a college program at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women. Asante-Muhammad has served and serves on various advisory committees and boards, including The Racial Equity Subcommittee of the Joe Biden Economic Policy Committee, Better Markets, the Advancing Black Strategists Initiative, and the Council of US Financial Health Network.
Asante-Muhammad has been featured in outlets including The Hill, MarketWatch, Yahoo! News, Bloomberg, CNN, MSNBC, Time, The New York Times, C-SPAN, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Atlantic, TheGrio, Black Enterprise, and Inside Philanthropy. An avid writer and researcher, more of Asante-Muhammad’s work can be found in Medium, HuffPost, and the Racial Wealth Divide Initiative’s blog.
Asante-Muhammad has a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Government from Williams College and a master’s degree in Systematic Theology from Union Theological Seminary.
OPAL HAWKINS
Chief Financial Officer
Opal Hawkins is the chief financial officer at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. As CFO, she oversees all aspects of the organization’s financial operations, including accounting, financial reporting, budgeting, business systems, financing, and human resources.
Before joining the Joint Center, Hawkins held CFO positions at prominent organizations such as the University Professional Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) and PayPal Giving Fund. She has a proven track record of driving strategic and structural changes, particularly during periods of significant market disruption.
With over 20 years of financial expertise in the non-profit sector, Hawkins has held leadership roles at organizations like the American Society of Association Executives, Online Computerized Library Cooperative, and Prosperity Now. She has also consulted for the American Association of Retired Persons and serves as an advisor to Enterprising Ventures of Color.
Prior to her non-profit career, Hawkins began her financial journey at Price Waterhouse.
Hawkins holds a Georgetown University Certificate from the Public Policy Institute in Non-Profit Management, a BS degree from the University of Maryland Global Campus, and an MBA from Northcentral University.
MONICA MITCHELL
Chief of Staff
Monica Mitchell serves as chief of staff at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America's Black think tank. In this role, she provides strategic leadership for the organization's research agenda, program initiatives, and operational excellence.
Mitchell brings over 20 years of experience in banking, community and economic development, social impact strategy, and philanthropic leadership. Before joining the Joint Center, she served as Senior Vice President, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of National Strategic Programs for the Wells Fargo Foundation, one of the nation's largest corporate foundations with over $300M in annual philanthropic investments. There, she led the management of the Office of the President, strategic planning, transformative initiatives focused on economic empowerment and community development, and cross-functional initiatives of the Foundation and bank, including leading the $1.6 billion 'Where We Live' place-based initiative, coordinating cross-sector partnerships to develop innovative equity-centered programs focused on housing, small business, workforce development, and asset-building.
As an executive in Community and Government Affairs, Mitchell was responsible for Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) federal compliance while maintaining relationships with national civil rights organizations, community leaders, and government officials. Throughout her career, she has developed collaborative programs with organizations, including the NAACP, National Urban League, US Black Chambers, and National Community Reinvestment Coalition, among others. Mitchell's policy and philanthropic expertise spans multiple sectors, including K-12 education, affordable housing, small business, youth and workforce development, and higher education equity, with a focus on inclusive engagement with diverse communities, including rural populations, opportunity youth, foster youth, formerly incarcerated persons (returning citizens), immigrant and refugee communities.
Mitchell is the founder and President of the Board of the all-girls Lillie May Carroll Jackson Middle School in Baltimore City, serving girls in 5th-8th grades, and serves on the board of the Eddie and C. Sylvia Brown Family Foundation, one of the nation's most influential Black Family Foundations advancing racial equity across philanthropy. She was a founding member of the United Way Emerging Leaders United Program and served on Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's 2020 transition team.
Mitchell was appointed by Governor Wes Moore to the Maryland Affordable Housing Trust Board in 2024 and also serves as a Baltimore City Commissioner, appointed by Mayor Brandon Scott and the Baltimore City Council.
Mitchell has served as a sought-after speaker for keynotes, conferences, and panels across the country, and her expertise has been featured in Inside Philanthropy, CNN, The Washington Post, and other national publications. Mitchell holds a Master's of Liberal Arts in Management, with a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Harvard University, a Bachelor's in Business Administration from the University of Maryland, and completed the Executive Leadership Program at UCLA's Anderson School of Management.
Her numerous distinctions include being named to the Top 50 Influential Marylanders List, receiving the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Shes100 Award, Black Wall Street Award, becoming the youngest recipient of the Associated Black Charities ICON Award, and being one of the youngest inductees into the Maryland Top 100 Women Circle of Excellence.
DR. LASHONDA BRENSON
Senior Researcher
Dr. LaShonda Brenson is the senior researcher at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she leads our Hill Diversity research. Prior to her current role, she served as the senior fellow of diversity and inclusion at the Joint Center.
Prior to the Joint Center, Dr. Brenson served as a civil rights analyst at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. At the Commission, Dr. Brenson organized national briefings and wrote reports on municipal fines and fees and its impact on minority communities, minority voting rights, and women in prison. Previously, she was the research director at Project Vote, a national, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization founded on the belief that an organized, diverse electorate is the key to a better America.
Dr. Brenson earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematics and Political Science from the University of Rochester, and her Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Using qualitative interviews with congressional staffers and quantitative methods, her dissertation research provides evidence that the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), as institutions, matter. One way she demonstrates the added value of the CBC and CHC is by illustrating that when caucus members serve as caucus leaders, they introduce more bills because of their additional staff capacity.
Read her policy analysis and commentary here.
CLAIRE CAMPBELL
Director, People and Operations
Claire Campbell is the director of People and Operations at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she focuses on building structures and policies that allow for organizational growth and centering values.
Previously, Campbell was the director of Operations at Millennial Action Project (MAP), whose mission is to empower young elected officials with the tools and resources they need to be effective and empathetic leaders. Before MAP, Campbell served as director of Operations at West Wing Writers, a speechwriting and strategic communications firm, where she played an integral role in helping the company double in size during her tenure
A graduate of Heidelberg University, Campbell lives in Ohio with her partner, Andrew, and their two Goldendoodles, Bo and Arnie.
DANIELLE A. DAVIS, ESQ.
Director, Technology Policy
Danielle A. Davis, Esq., is the director of Technology Policy at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she leads the organization's Technology Policy program. Her primary areas of focus encompass broadband adoption and access, content moderation, and privacy issues. She brings a wealth of experience to her role as a highly accomplished attorney specializing in technology and telecommunications law, policy development, and civil rights advocacy.
Before assuming her current position, Davis held the role of assistant general counsel at the Universal Service Administrative Company. In this capacity, she provided legal counsel related to the administration of the Affordable Connectivity Program and the USF Lifeline Program. Additionally, she served as a Tech and Telecom Policy counsel at the Multicultural Media, Telecom, and Internet Council. Here, she offered guidance on tech and telecom matters to leadership, managed the fellowship program, reviewed outgoing communications, and drafted and edited comments submitted to the FCC and NTIA.
Davis's dedication to advancing technology and telecom policy is evident in her prior work as a Tech and Telecom Policy fellow at the National Urban League Washington Bureau. In this role, she advised senior management on tech and telecom issues, collaborated on cross-functional teams and projects, and was responsible for drafting U.S. congressional testimony, policy recommendations, comments, letters, and digital outreach materials.
Davis's impressive academic background includes a Juris Doctor degree from Barry University, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law, as well as a Bachelor of Science in General Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Florida Atlantic University, where she graduated cum laude. She is an active member of the Florida Bar, the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA), and the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP). Davis also serves as a co-chair on the FCBA's Privacy and Data Security Committee.
Notably, Davis is a skilled writer and editor, having held the esteemed positions of Editor-in-Chief of the Southern Journal of Policy and Justice and Senior Editor of the Barry Law Review during her time in law school. She has also authored numerous publications and conducted research at the intersection of technology, law, and civil rights, further demonstrating her commitment to advancing these critical issues.
DR. KAYLA ELLIOTT
Director, Workforce Policy
Kayla C. Elliott, Ph.D. is director of Workforce Policy at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, America’s Black think tank. She leads a team of experts who center Black communities in policy debates concerning the future of work, workforce development, and access to good jobs. Prior to the Joint Center, Dr. Elliott was the director for higher education policy at The Education Trust. She has shared her expertise on outlets such as The Washington Post, TheGrio, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Dr. Elliott also holds a master's in philanthropy and a certificate in nonprofit management and has worked on P-20 education issues with a range of nonprofit organizations, including Lumina Foundation, the Southern Education Foundation, and Teach For America. Dr. Elliott earned a Ph.D. in higher education leadership from Florida Atlantic University, where she taught undergraduate courses and worked in research roles in the College of Education and the Provost’s Office.
A proud HBCU advocate and third-generation alumna, Dr. Elliott studied business administration at Fisk University. Dr. Elliott is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. She enjoys cooking, reading, and exploring parks, festivals, and restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area.
KENNEDY FORTNER
Communications Associate
Kennedy Fortner is the communications associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, providing support to the communications department through a range of functions. These include overseeing the Joint Center's weekly and monthly newsletters, monitoring media placements, and managing the press pages, blogs, and event placements on the website.
Prior to her role at the Joint Center, Fortner served as a communications intern at Alma DDB. In this position, she was responsible for managing and distributing daily trend reports to company executives, providing information on clients, competitors, and relevant agency news. She also drafted storyline angles for senior executives to pitch to major advertising trades, developed press releases and advertising award write-ups, and led the graphic creation of social media posts for platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Additionally, she was involved in writing social media and internal communications copy. Fortner also worked as a public affairs assistant for the City of Miami Gardens, where she spearheaded the curation of social media content for community outreach events and summits.
Fortner earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations with a minor in Graphic Design from Howard University. During her time at Howard, she participated in ColorComm as a 2023 HBCU Fellow. As part of this program, she had the opportunity to meet with mentors and address diversity and inclusion in the communications, marketing, advertising, media, and digital industries.
VICTORIA JOHNSON
Director, Digital and Multimedia Communications
Victoria Johnson is the digital and multimedia director at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies where she serves as the Joint Center's visual storyteller and manages the Joint Center's digital media including social media, website, and other multimedia platforms. Johnson joined the Joint Center team in 2018 as the digital communications specialist, served as its communications manager from Feb. 2021 to Dec. 2022, and digital multimedia director from Jan. 2023 to May 2024.
Prior to joining the Joint Center, she spent six years as a journalist earning robust newspaper and magazine experience while reporting on policy and entertainment for New York Daily News, New York Amsterdam News, Teen Vogue, Mashable, Vulture, and more.
She earned a bachelor's degree in advertising and public relations at The City College of New York and a master's degree in journalism at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism (formerly CUNY Graduate School of Journalism), where she specialized in urban city reporting.
FATOUMATA KEITA
Director, Development
Fatoumata Keita is the director of Development at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she leads the implementation of the organization’s fundraising plan. Before this role, she was a senior manager of foundation relations at the National Women's Law Center, where she led foundation fundraising efforts for workplace justice and education programs. Prior to joining the Law Center, she advised the senior vice president of programs at AARP Foundation on programmatic planning, budgeting, implementation, and monitoring of key projects. Additionally, Keita served as a philanthropy associate at Bloomberg Philanthropies. In this role, she supported the executive team with strategic grant-making and the operations team with the day-to-day management of the foundation.
Keita holds a master’s in Gender and Women’s Studies from Trinity College Dublin, where she was a George J. Mitchell scholar. During her time in Ireland, she worked as a policy officer with a small Irish-based NGO, Wezesha, which aimed to address unemployment and isolation issues for African migrants living in Ireland. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Business and Government from Franklin and Marshall College. She enjoys listening to good music and podcasts, reading, and traveling.
CARLTON LANGFORD
Special Assistant, Policy
Carlton Langford is a special assistant of Policy at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where he brings extensive experience in project coordination, administrative support, and organizational management. His career has been dedicated to supporting organizations that advance equity, with a focus on impactful missions that benefit marginalized communities.
At Northwestern University’s Institute for Policy Research, Langford served in an administrative role where he coordinated a prestigious research assistant program, optimized executive scheduling, and supported high-profile events like the Distinguished Public Policy Lecture. He previously served as the Coming Home Program Intake Coordinator at the Georgia Justice Project, where he supported Black residents navigating the record restriction process. He conducted community outreach to educate disenfranchised citizens about their rights, reviewed legal documents for attorney analysis, and empowered individuals to pursue legislative advocacy. At Housing Opportunities for Women, Inc., he managed accounts payable for a nonprofit addressing housing insecurity, ensuring compliance with federal and state grants to effectively allocate funding to vulnerable populations.
He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Howard University and is committed to advancing equitable policy solutions through research, collaboration, and organizational excellence.
LATOYA PARKER
Senior Researcher
LaToya Parker is the senior researcher in the Office of the President at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, where she leads the organization’s Economic Policy and Tax Policy initiatives. Working closely with Joint Center President Dedrick Asante-Muhammad, she focuses on addressing wealth inequality and advancing policies to promote Black economic justice.
Previously, Parker served as research study manager and lead research associate at Westat, where she oversaw multimillion-dollar federal projects, conducted policy analyses on racial economic inequality, and guided federal regulatory processes. At Decision Information Resources, she contributed to evaluations of major initiatives, including Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative. Her work informed the allocation of $100 million in scholarships to students at Historically Black Medical Schools, shaping the foundation for Bloomberg’s subsequent $600 million investment in advancing equity in medical education.
Parker also worked as a Higher Education Policy and Research consultant at The Century Foundation, where her research uncovered a $12 billion funding disparity between HBCU and non-HBCU land-grant institutions. Her findings informed policy solutions aimed at addressing these inequities and fostering sustainable funding for historically underfunded institutions.
Currently a Ph.D. candidate in the Higher Education Leadership and Policy Studies program at Howard University, Parker’s dissertation, Congressional Access: Examining the Federal Lobbying of HBCU Doctoral Universities, explores the federal lobbying strategies of 14 HBCU doctoral institutions over a 15-year period. Through a mixed-methods approach, her research highlights the legislative challenges and strategic advocacy efforts of these institutions in securing equitable funding amidst significant state-level disparities.
Parker holds a Master of Social Work in Community Administration and Policy from Howard University and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Eastern Michigan University. Her expertise includes mixed-methods research, data analysis, federal regulatory processes, and stakeholder engagement.
Dedicated to addressing systemic barriers to racial and economic equity, Parker’s work bridges academic research and policy advocacy to drive meaningful change for Black communities.
JORDAN ROEBUCK
Development Associate
Jordan Roebuck is the Development Associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, helping execute the organization’s fundraising strategies. His work includes managing donor relationships, tracking donations, and coordinating fundraising initiatives.
Before joining the Joint Center, Roebuck recently completed an internship with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in Congressman Jerrold Nadler’s DC office, where he gained hands-on experience in legislative research, constituent services, and the policymaking process. His role included conducting policy research, drafting memos, attending hearings, and supporting legislative initiatives for New York’s 10th Congressional District. Through the CBCF’s professional development program, he expanded his knowledge of the legislative process and effective communication. Roebuck also has work experience in policy research as a former research intern for the National Black Child Development Research Institute, where he authored research papers and reports on equity issues affecting Black children, contributing to funding efforts and organizational goals
A graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College, Roebuck holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and Policy with a minor in African American and African Studies. For his research detailing the lived experiences of black students in James Madison College, Roebuck was awarded the Martin Luther King, Jr. Advancing Inclusion Through Research Award. During Roebuck's time in college, he developed a strong foundation in leadership and advocacy through roles such as Parliamentarian for the Black Students’ Alliance and Treasurer of the W.E.B. DuBois Society, where he has been featured on the State News and local news stations for his efforts. Roebuck has also received the Michigan State University Black Students’ Alliance Darius Peyton Award for his leadership. Roebuck's expertise spans policy research, legislative processes, and organizational development, making him a vital contributor to initiatives that drive systemic change.
DR. GABRIELLE SMITH FINNIE
Policy Analyst, Workforce Policy
Gabrielle Smith Finnie, Ph.D. is a policy analyst of Workforce Policy at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Prior to joining the Joint Center, she was a research intern at the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and graduate assistant in the higher education PhD program at Old Dominion University. In both roles, Dr. Smith Finnie has worked to reimagine higher education and advocate for evidence-based and equity-driven practices to ensure student success in higher education and economic mobility post degree attainment.
Dr. Smith Finnie holds a master’s degree in higher education administration from Florida International University and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Delaware. She also recently defended her Critical Participatory Action Research (CPAR) dissertation study which explored the impact and intersection of race and justice-involvement, examined Black individuals’ ideologies of freedom, and their experiences in higher education and navigating society post-justice-involvement.
Outside of her scholastic and professional pursuits, Dr. Smith Finnie is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is also an avid vinyl collector and is always looking for the best albums to add to her collection.
JUSTIN NALLEY
Senior Policy Analyst, Workforce Policy
Justin Nalley is a senior policy analyst of Workforce Policy at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. Nalley brings his experience advocating for access to equitable resources for Black communities to produce timely policy research and data analysis, which centers Black workers in workforce development, post-secondary access, and access to quality jobs.
Before joining the Joint Center, Nalley served as the senior public policy analyst for the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland. In this role, Nalley researched, lobbied, and conducted state fiscal analysis to shape policy for Black youth and families in public education, juvenile justice reform, and voting rights. Nalley was also instrumental in the formation and recognition of the first union at the ACLU of Maryland and held the role of shop steward, leading contract negotiations. He also worked at Baltimore City Public Schools as an analyst, ensuring the large urban district received accurate state revenue to support their students.
Nalley is a member of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management. Nalley attended the University of Maryland Eastern Shore before earning his Bachelor of Business Administration from Temple University and Master of Public Administration from West Chester University.
KIMBERLY VICTOR
Research Associate
Kimberly Victor is the research associate for the Hill Diversity Program at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. She previously served as the Joint Center's research analyst.
Prior to joining the Joint Center, she was a research assistant in various labs at Cornell and Stanford University. At Stanford’s Social Psychological Answers to Real-World Questions (SPARQ), she worked on projects that utilized behavioral science insights to improve police-community relations and promote equity and inclusion in the education sector. At Cornell, she successfully defended her senior honors thesis on the intersection between race and purpose, arguing that the connection between one’s sense of purpose and racial identity has important implications on one’s well-being, particularly for communities of color.
She also served as a student assistant at the New York State Office of the Attorney General Civil Rights Bureau. There she conducted research to help with education campaigns and worked with various diverse communities to ensure the protection of their rights and access to legal counsel.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development with minors in Inequality Studies and Crime, Prisons, Education, and Justice from Cornell University. During her tenure at Cornell, she worked as the Poetry Program Coordinator for Prisoner Express, helping the organization provide opportunities for creative self-expression through art and poetry to hundreds of incarcerated individuals across the U.S.
Read her policy analysis and commentary here.
JESSICA FULTON
Senior Fellow
Jessica Fulton is the senior fellow at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies. An expert on issues at the intersection of race and economic policy, Fulton’s work focuses on identifying and promoting policies to advance the socioeconomic status of the Black community. In her previous role as the Joint Center vice president of Policy, she oversaw the Joint Center’s research and policy team and led our Economic Policy research.
Before joining the Joint Center, she served as external relations director at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, where she worked with scholars to advance policymaker understanding of the connection between economic inequality and economic growth. She has also held local research and advocacy positions at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and the Chicago Urban League.
Fulton is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She serves on the Board of The Black Swan Academy, an organization focused on increasing civic engagement among Black youth, and the Advisory Board of the Sadie Collective, which strives to increase the representation of Black women in economics. Fulton earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in Economic Policy Analysis from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at Depaul University.
Read her policy analysis and commentary here.