California Research Bureau Staff Directory
We respond promptly to confidential research requests from our clients: the Governor’s Office, Legislature and Constitutional Officers. For research requests, please contact the California Research Bureau at crb@library.ca.gov or (916) 603-7217. Visit our home page to learn more about the services we provide.
For information on the California Homeless Youth Project, please go to the project website at cahomelessyouth.library.ca.gov or contact Pixie Popplewell, project director, at pixie.pearl@library.ca.gov.
Meet the Research Bureau
Administration
Tom Negrete
He/him/his
Director
Tom.Negrete@library.ca.gov
916-603-7148
Connect with Tom Negrete on LinkedIn
B.S. Political Science, UC Berkeley; M.S. Journalism, Columbia University
Tom oversees a staff of researchers and librarians who produce timely and nonpartisan public policy research, reference and information services, analysis, and data visualizations at the request of the Legislature and Governor’s Office. He also works with the project director of the California Youth Homeless Project, a research and policy initiative of the Research Bureau, to share with policymakers the experiences and views of youth who are or have experienced homelessness in California. He previously worked as senior editor at CalMatters, managing editor and director of innovation at the Sacramento Bee, and assistant to the national editor at the New York Times.
Sabah Eltareb
She/her/hers
Assistant Director
sabah.eltareb@library.ca.gov
916-603-7116
Connect with Sabah Eltareb on LinkedIn
BS Economics, University of the Pacific; MA Library & Information Science, San Jose State University
Sabah oversees the work of four librarians to deliver timely and nonpartisan public policy research, materials and resources at the request of legislative and gubernatorial staff. She previously worked in local public and academic libraries as well as in a number of small family-owned businesses. She has been involved in several professional organizations, including serving as chair of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Legislative Research Librarians and staff vice chair of the Legislative Effectiveness Committee in the NCSL Legislative Staff Coordinating Committee
Devin Lavelle
He/him/his
Assistant Director
devin.lavelle@library.ca.gov
916-603-7131
Connect with Devin Lavelle on Linkedln
BA Politics, Pomona College; MPPA, CSU Sacramento
Devin brings nearly twenty years of experience, advising leaders in the public and private sectors on public policy, program design, business development and marketing, driven by sophisticated policy and data research and analytics. He has advised state and local government, trade associations, nonprofits, unions, and private sector firms. Specializing in data-driven policy analysis; incorporating advanced statistical and econometric techniques to explore a wide variety of subject matters, including local development, education, environmental policy and tax policy. Devin is active in his alumni association and local community.
Leslie Humphrey
She/her/hers
Associate Governmental Program Analyst
leslie.humphrey@library.ca.gov
916-603-7123
Connect with Leslie Humphrey on LinkedIn
AA, American River College
Leslie works in an administrative capacity within the bureau. For the past 18 years, her role as administrative liaison includes budget tracking, contract management, Fi$Cal lead, interacting with all administrative sections within the agency and overseeing all grant funded projects with the California State Library Foundation. Prior to this, she worked in various other units within the Library.
Carley Herron
She/her/hers
Staff Services Analyst
carley.herron@library.ca.gov
916-603-7121
Connect with Carley Herron on LinkedIn
BA Communications, Whitworth University
Carley has worked at the Research Bureau for nearly 15 years on a wide range of projects, including copy editing, research requests, and assisting with web page creation. She is the CRB intern coordinator. She edits the Lunch with a Side of Research newsletter. Prior to State service, she worked as a daily newspaper copy editor and a high school English teacher, among other professions. She also is an expert on Sacramento Certified Farmers Markets and loves to cook and entertain.
Research Staff
Sumeet Bedi
He/him/his
Research Data Specialist I
sumeet.bedi@library.ca.gov
916-603-7216
Connect with Sumeet Bedi on LinkedIn
BA Sociology, UC Berkeley; MPPA, CSU Sacramento
Sumeet is a Research Data Specialist I with the California Research Bureau since September 2022. He formerly worked in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research’s Military Affairs Team, in partnership with CRB, to produce a series of reports which highlight the economic impact of national security investment in the state of California. Sumeet earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from UC Berkeley, and a Master of Public Policy and Administration from CSU Sacramento.
Veronica Churchill
She/her/hers
Research Librarian
veronica.churchill@library.ca.gov
279-399-8982
Connect with Veronica Churchill on LinkedIn
MLIS, University of Washington
Veronica formerly worked at Holy Names University’s Cushing Library as well as served as an adjunct librarian at local community colleges. Before entering the library field, she worked for Oakland non-profit organizations focused on youth development and early childhood education.
John Cornelison
Senior Research Librarian
john.cornelison@library.ca.gov
916-603-7111
Masters in Library Science (MLS) from California State University, San Jose
John has worked at the Research Bureau for over 20 years on a wide range of research requests, including legislative histories, literature searches, and state and local public policy issues, as well as special projects involving the Governor’s Office, Legislature, and various state agencies in military base closure and defense conversion, CA State Home Page projects, and the 2011 Women’s History Month Calendar. His past agency experience with EDD included both policy and research work in addition to library services.
Yovana Gojnic
Research Data Specialist I
yovana.gojnic@library.ca.gov
916-894-6586
Connect with Yovana Gojnic on LinkedIn
BA International Relations and French, UC Davis; MPPA, CSU Sacramento
Yovana joined the California Research Bureau in April 2024. She previously worked in the Franchise Tax Board’s (FTB) Economic and Statistical Research Bureau for nine years, where she primarily developed revenue impact estimates for proposed legislative changes to the tax code. Prior to her career in state service, she worked in the aging policy field and served a short period as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Yovana also enjoys working on topics related to physical, cognitive and behavioral health. She is active in the local running community.
Tonya D. Lindsey
She/her/hers
Research Data Specialist II
tonya.lindsey@library.ca.gov
916-603-7134
Connect with Tonya D. Lindsey on LinkedIn
BA Sociology, Pitzer College; MA Sociology, UC Santa Barbara; Ph.D. Sociology, UC Santa Barbara
Tonya has been a senior researcher for the California Research Bureau since February 2012. She has a doctorate in sociology, with specialty areas in inequalities, methods, and analysis (e.g., statistics, research design, ethnography and studying people, and social network analysis), and globalization. She continues to teach at the CSU as a lecturer, where she is a professor of social statistics, research methods, deviance, and public sociology. Beginning in January 2023, Tonya will be a visiting scholar at UC Berkley working with the Institute of Governmental Studies, the DLab, and the Census Data Center to produce local-level statistical analyses of California policy issues. Her community activities include being a founding member of Sacramento for Women and Girls and the Vice-Chair of the Blue Ribbon Commission for the Establishment of a Sacramento County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. Ask Tonya about Scholar Strategy Network.
Pam Martin
She/her/hers
Research Data Specialist I
pamela.martin@library.ca.gov
916-603-7142
Connect with Pam Martin on LinkedIn
BA Education, CSU Stanislaus; MPPA, CSU Sacramento
Pam’s most recent CRB reports gave an in-depth look at a variety of important public policy topics, such as childhood asthma, California business migration, the corporate practice of medicine, noise levels at military bases, and the impact of lead-based fishing lures on birds and mammals in the wild. She has a great deal of experience in California state government, where she has worked in programs including private postsecondary education, student financial aid, and child support.
Britnee Pannell
She/her/hers
Research Data Specialist I
britnee.pannell@library.ca.gov
916-603-7133
B.S Animal Biology, U.C. Davis, A.S. GIS American River College
Britnee formerly worked with the Office of Research and Planning’s Military Affairs Team to produce a series of reports which highlight the economic impact of national security investment in the state of California. She previously worked in pharmaceutical research and had interned at CRB. Britnee brings a strong data analytics background and exceptional GIS skills to the team. Her GIS abilities have already been put to work improving the Grants Portal and Homeless Youth Project dashboards and in her first time with CRB, she mapped California’s public libraries. Britnee is a graduate of UC Davis. She is an avid crafter, most frequently found with knitting needles in her hands, and practices rattan glaive fighting.
Cesar Reyes
He/him/his
Research Librarian
cesar.reyes@library.ca.gov
279-399-8968
BA English, U.C. Davis; MLIS, San Jose State University
Cesar has worked previously as a Junior Fellow with the Library of Congress where his focus was developing video series to better connect patron and LoC staff. As well working as a librarian within the community college system, most recently Sierra College. His previous work has been in academia helping students throughout their educational journey to fulfill their educational dreams.
Maeve Roche
She/her/hers
Senior Research Librarian
maeve.roche@library.ca.gov
916-603-7160
Connect with Maeve Roche on LinkedIn
BA International Relations, UC Davis; MLIS, San Jose State University
Maeve works on a wide range of research requests, including legislative histories, literature searches and state/local government jurisdictional/public policy issues. She has experience as a public librarian and as a law librarian, and at an earlier stage in her career, as a middle school social science and English as a Second Language teacher.
Patrick Rogers
He/him/his
Research Data Specialist II
patrick.rogers@library.ca.gov
916-603-7161
Connect with Patrick Rogers on LinkedIn
BSN, Sonoma State University; BA Philosophy, Sonoma State University
Patrick is a Senior Policy Analyst (Research Data Specialist II) with the California Research Bureau. His work often involves the application of data-intensive, quantitative methods and has covered a diverse range of topics — including transportation and land-use planning, housing and homelessness, open data best practices, and the detection of discrimination in disciplinary outcomes. Prior to his career in state service, he founded and ran a successful internet start-up and was Editor-in-Chief of the International Affairs Journal at UC Davis.
Mike Stajura
He/him/his
Research Data Specialist I
Mike.Stajura@library.ca.gov
916-894-6589
Connect with Mike Stajura on LinkedIn
B.S., United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.; Ph.D., M.P.P., & M.P.H., UCLA
Mike joined the California Research Bureau in May 2024
Before joining us, he worked in civil service at the Dept. of Social Services and the CA Conversation Corps. Prior to civil service, he worked in the Capitol as a legislative aide, at a county association gaining expertise in child and youth behavioral health policy, and a nonprofit advocate for foster youth and youth experiencing homelessness. He is a West Point graduate and U.S. Army Veteran who later earned a Ph.D. in public health at UCLA.
Monica Stam
She/her/hers
Senior Research Data Librarian
monica.stam@library.ca.gov
916-603-7210
Connect with Monica Stam on LinkedIn
BA Art History, Sonoma State University; MLIS, San Jose State University
Monica graduated with a B.A. in Art History from Sonoma State University, completed a year of post-baccalaureate studies at the University of Paris studying Franco-American relations, and received her Master’s in Library Science from San Jose State University. After graduating college, she served for two years in the Peace Corps (Benin ’08–’10), where she planned and organized empowerment activities specifically aimed at young women. She has worked in a variety of different library settings including legal, academic, and public libraries.
California Homeless Youth Project
Pixie Popplewell
They/them/their
Project Director, CHYP
pixie.popplewell@library.ca.gov
916-603-7155
BA Psychology and Human Services, William Penn University; Master of Social Work, CSU Sacramento
Pixie is the Project Director for the California Homeless Youth Project, where they launched California’s first integrative dashboard on youth homelessness. Pixie also assisted in launching Sacramento’s first LGBTQ+ focused shelter and formal host homes program for youth experiencing homelessness. Pixie is the Secretary of the Sacramento CoC (Continuum of Care) Advisory Board and is on the Leadership Body for A Way Home America. Pixie strives to utilize their lived experience to mindfully operate from a foundation of empowering and amplifying youth voice to create a pathway for change.