Staff/Board

BIO

Jason Stein has worked with the Wisconsin Policy Forum since 2018, serving as President since July 2024 and prior to that as Vice President and Research Director. In his time with the Forum, his reports have received multiple awards from the Governmental Research Association.

Before joining the Forum, Jason worked as a Capitol reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and for the Wisconsin State Journal. He is the author with Patrick Marley of “More than They Bargained For: Scott Walker, Unions and the Fight for Wisconsin.” His reporting was recognized by journalism groups such as the American Society of News Editors, the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors. Milwaukee Magazine also named him as one of the city’s most influential media figures in 2015.

He serves on the board of Neighborhood House in Madison and previously served on the board of the Government Research Association as well as the board president of both the Wisconsin Capitol Correspondents Association and of The Daily Cardinal, the University of Wisconsin-Madison student newspaper. He speaks English and Spanish and holds a master’s degree in journalism from UW-Madison and bachelor’s degree in classical languages from the University of Kansas. He has two sons, Zane and Xavier.

BIO

Rob Henken is the Immediate Past President of the Wisconsin Policy Forum (previously the Public Policy Forum). He was the organization’s President from January 2008 to July 2024. In his current position, he works half-time for WPF, heading up its service sharing research portfolio, guiding many of its major metro Milwaukee research projects, and playing a prominent role in its local government finance research. He also serves as the half-time Executive Director of the Milwaukee-based Herzfeld Foundation.

Since joining the Forum, Rob has authored or co-authored six reports that won national awards from the Governmental Research Association. He was honored as the 2019 Person of the Year by the Milwaukee Rotary Club and received the 2019 Ally award from the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee. He also was named one of Milwaukee’s 100 most influential leaders in The Milwaukee Business Journal’s annual “Power Book” in 2012 and one of Milwaukee’s “Game Changers” by M Magazine in 2013.

Before he became Forum President, Rob worked in Milwaukee County Government for nearly 10 years, serving as Director of Research for the County Board, Director of Health and Human Services, and Director of Administrative Services. He also has directed two non-profit organizations in Milwaukee — the Alliance for Future Transit and the Milwaukee Jobs Initiative. Prior to moving to Milwaukee in 1994, he worked for seven years on Capitol Hill as a senior aide to two congressmen and as staff director for a House of Representatives foreign affairs subcommittee.

In addition to leading the Forum, Rob was an adjunct associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning from 2009 through 2017, where he taught transportation policy. He also served as President of the Governmental Research Association, which includes nearly 30 research organizations from 19 states, from 2014-16.

Rob has a Bachelor’s Degree in History from Brown University and a Master’s in Journalism and Public Affairs from American University. Born and raised in Newton, Massachusetts, he lives in Bayside with his wife, Barrie, and dog, Barkley. The couple has two grown sons, Danny and Ben, and two grandchildren, Rozzie and Mickey.

BIO

Elizabeth Cizinsky serves as the Director of Business & Community Operations at the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Located in Milwaukee, Elizabeth focuses on stakeholder management, development, and internal operations.

Prior to joining the Wisconsin Policy Forum, Elizabeth worked at the Greater Milwaukee Committee, running its economic development initiative Scale Up Milwaukee. In that role, she oversaw and managed all aspects, from conception to execution to evaluation of Scale Up Milwaukee programs. Under her direction, Scale Up Milwaukee hosted 17 business accelerator cohorts and graduated nearly 300 companies, and attracted hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding from national organizations. Before joining Scale Up Milwaukee, Elizabeth’s career ranged from work on Capitol Hill in Washington to Marquette University Law School and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

A Milwaukee-area native, Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s in Economics & Political Science from Marquette University, as well as a certificate in Data Analysis from UW- Milwaukee. She is involved in a number of community initiatives including TEMPO Milwaukee’s Emerging Women Leaders, BMO’s Project REACh, and Fund Milwaukee. She lives in Brookfield with her husband Steve, three daughters Charlotte, Stella and Eloise, and Louie the dog.

BIO

Joe Peterangelo has been a part of the Wisconsin Policy Forum’s research team since 2011 and has served as its research director since July 2024. Joe has authored many impactful reports on economic, transportation, and housing issues in Wisconsin and metro Milwaukee, including several that have received awards from the national Governmental Research Association.

Before joining the Forum, Joe worked as a program coordinator for United Way of Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin and as a planning assistant for the city of Milwaukee’s Department of City Development. He previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the Community Action Coalition for South Central Wisconsin.

Joe holds a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a bachelor’s degree in sustainable development from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. He speaks English and Spanish and lives in Milwaukee with his husband and hundreds of plants.

BIO

Mark Sommerhauser is Communications Director/Policy Researcher for the Wisconsin Policy Forum. He works in the Forum’s Madison office, where he both contributes to research and helps to disseminate it to the public.

Before joining the Forum, Mark worked from 2015 to 2019 as a Capitol reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal, where he covered the state budget, state agencies, transportation issues, and state and federal politics. Prior to that, he reported for three daily newspapers in Minnesota and Missouri. His work has received awards from professional journalism organizations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Missouri.

Mark has dual bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He lives in Stoughton with his wife, Ava, and two children, Eloise and Nash.

BIO

Jeff Schmidt is the Data & Technology Director with the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Jeff joined the Forum (previously Public Policy Forum) in 2003. Jeff analyzes, formats, and visualizes data for reports, presentations, and member communications. He also collaborates with the research staff on research findings to develop data visualization strategies that communicate findings in reports and other supporting documents.

Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in public policy and administration from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

BIO

Sara Shaw joined the Wisconsin Policy Forum in 2021 as a senior researcher and has served as its deputy research director since July 2024. In that role, she supports the Forum’s comprehensive research portfolio while maintaining a policy focus on education and issues related to children. She also serves on the board of the Governmental Research Association.

Before joining the Forum, Sara worked as a senior manager with the Illinois State Board of Education and directed K-12 policy for the Illinois Secretary of Education. Major accomplishments include contributions to the state’s 2017 funding formula overhaul and implementation of the state’s first school-by-school spending reports in 2019. Sara previously worked as a program manager with Mass Insight Education, supporting school districts undergoing sustained school turnaround efforts. She began her career in education as a teacher in Milwaukee through the Teach For America program.

Sara holds an M.A. in education from Marquette University, an A.B. in comparative literature from Princeton University, and a certificate in education finance from Georgetown University. She lives in the Brewers Hill neighborhood of Milwaukee with her partner and son.

BIO

Ari Brown is a senior research associate for the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Ari joined the Wisconsin Policy Forum in 2019. In his role, Ari works to acquire, manage, analyze, and visualize public policy data as it relates to the work of the forum.

Prior to joining the forum, he was a project assistant with the Wisconsin Center for Education Research and a research and program evaluation intern at the Madison Metropolitan School District.

Ari holds a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from the La Follette School of Public Affairs, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Political Science, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

BIO

Tyler Byrnes is a Senior Research Associate at the Forum. A PhD candidate at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Byrnes most recently worked at the conservation nonprofit Gathering Waters to identify the fiscal impact of conservation land purchases on local governments. From 2008 to 2016, he served as an Executive Budget and Policy Analyst at the Wisconsin Department of Administration, working directly with former Gov. Scott Walker and former Gov. Jim Doyle on their state budget proposals. Byrnes has a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Northern Iowa and a bachelor’s degree from Ripon College.

BIO

Ashley Fisher is a senior research associate for the Wisconsin Policy Forum. Her work focuses on fiscal and budget topics related to Greater Milwaukee’s largest local governments, including the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. She also performs research on state budget and fiscal issues.

Ashley is the current president of the Board of Directors at the Outpost Natural Foods cooperative and previously served as CEO of the nonprofit Bel Canto Chorus. Before moving to Milwaukee in 2018, Ashley worked as a budget analyst for the Washington State Employment Security Department and conducted policy analysis for the Office of Program Research, a nonpartisan body serving the Washington State House of Representatives.

Ashley holds a master’s degree in public administration from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington, and a bachelor’s degree in politics from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. She lives with her husband and three children in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee.

BIO

Don Cramer is a researcher for the Wisconsin Policy Forum. He joined the forum in 2022. His work focuses on fiscal analysis and government service sharing. His interests are in data analysis and data visualization.

Prior to joining the forum, Don was a high school math teacher in the Milwaukee area for ten years. He also worked for several years as a data analyst for a public school district.

Don is currently working towards a PhD in biostatistics from the Zilber School of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. He has a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics, both from Boston University.