As a result of 2016 legislation (Acts 39, 85 and 166), the beverage alcohol landscape has transformed in Pennsylvania in recent years. As private retailers embrace the opportunity to sell limited quantities of wine to go, as direct wine shippers grow their sales to Pennsylvania residents and as the home-grown industries of Pennsylvania wineries, distilleries and breweries continue to expand, the commonwealth’s retail alcohol marketplace continues to evolve. As a result, the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has evolved in both organizational structure and operations, to serve the needs of new market participants and to optimize its own Fine Wine & Good Spirits retail operations. Additionally, the PLCB continues to evolve its analytic capabilities in response to external events and changes in consumer tastes. This presentation will elaborate on how data and statistics are used in the PLCB to understand these shifts. There will be a summary of measurable sales impacts from legislative changes and results from studies which identify trends in shopper behavior. Attention will also be given to changes in public-facing reports.

The 2020 Census is vital to both Pennsylvania and your government. The Census is the basis for distributing federal funds as well as political representation in local, state, and federal districts. During this presentation you will learn how your community can get an accurate census count by working with the Census Bureau community partnership engagement program through partnership specialists. This presentation will include a discussion on what’s new for the 2020 census, area census offices, recruitment efforts, confidentiality and data tools and products. You will also learn about forming Complete Count Committees to educate and motivate your residents to participate in the Census.

This presentation will focus on the results from the 2017 Census of Agriculture (COA). The COA is a complete count of U.S farms and ranches and the people who operate them. Taken only once every five years, it looks at land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.

Human trafficking is a problem in Pennsylvania. Over 560 calls for service were made from Pennsylvania to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in 2017 alone; in the past 10 years, the Hotline has received approximately 4,000 calls in the Commonwealth. However, efforts to address this problem have been stymied by a confusion over what exactly human trafficking is. Drawing from an online survey administered by the Center for Survey Research in fall 2018, this study queried a sample of over 1,000 Pennsylvania residents on their perceptions of human trafficking. This presentation will summarize components of Pennsylvanians' definitions of human trafficking and more. We conclude with implications for policy, practitioners and future research.

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children is a statewide, independent, non-partisan and non-profit organization which advocates for the improved health, education and well-being of children and youth in the Commonwealth. PPC is the KIDS COUNT recipient for the state, which annually produces the State of Child Welfare report. This detailed report focuses on the status of safety, permanency, and well-being of children impacted by the child welfare system in Pennsylvania. This session will focus on the development of the State of Child Welfare report and how it is utilized to develop legislative strategy and further advocacy planning for policy reform.

The Pennsylvania Autism Needs Assessment is a large statewide survey of individuals with autism and their caregivers. This presentation will use results from the Pennsylvania Autism Needs Assessment to display an array of emerging data visualizations, most of which will leverage Tableau. Tableau uniquely allows for data visualization that is not limited to static line graphs and pie charts, and puts the power in the user’s hands by allowing them to manipulate and explore data on their own through the use of interactive visualizations. Administrative and survey data such as the Pennsylvania Autism Needs Assessment can be difficult to consolidate into a digestible, usable product, but by including filters on time or specific diagnosis we are able to provide end users with the data they are seeking. This presentation will display visualizations including maps, interactive dashboards, and custom charts.

This presentation will focus on how implementing “empathy-building” data solutions can improve organizational capacity and impact. Improved knowledge about communities an organization engages with will result in better outcomes. Observations resulting from Benefits Data Trust’s community impact model will be used to demonstrate the advantages and barriers of integrating external data. The presentation will conclude by highlighting how this approach will empower data users and benefit organizations through an increased capacity, which will attract growth opportunities through external partnerships and funding.

Beer has been part of societies for thousands of years, and it certainly played an important role in the dietary and social life of North America settlers. Styles, production, distribution, and consumption is closely connected to the technology and economies of the times and the cultural practices of its population. Pennsylvania traditionally led the country in the number of breweries prior to Prohibition. After nearly a century of mass-produced beers, craft beer is thriving and having an enormous impact to the states’ economy, development, tourism, and recreation. Spatial data sets and GIS are used to understand overall distribution, cultural heritage, location, and growth of the industry-that of course must be thoroughly “investigated” for “field work.”

The majority of Pennsylvania’s municipalities have very small populations (fewer than 2,500 residents). These municipalities are governed by elected officials who are responsible for public safety, planning and zoning and local roadways. Who are these officials? Why did they run? What do they see as important issues in their municipality? This session will examine these questions by highlighting the results of the 2018 survey of municipal officials and comparing the results to the 1999 and 2005 surveys.

Pedro Luis Anés, President

Mr. Pedro Luis Anés is the President of Inpact Learning, LLC a Pennsylvania based education and training consulting firm that specializes in Diversity & Inclusion, Marketing and workplace Communications (Spanish-English) and Talent Development. His company has worked on major contracts including: PA Department of Labor/Penn State Certified Workforce Development Professional (CWDP) Credentialing Program, Wall Street West, Columbia University Learning Management System transition study, the Department of Defense military education center quality review (President Obama Executive Order) and The US Department of the Interior (Southeast Region) Hispanic Recruitment initiative.

Norman Bristol Colón, Executive Director

Norman Bristol Colón joined the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development earlier this year and was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf to serve as Executive Director of the Governor’s 2020 Census Complete Count Commission. Most recently, Bristol Colón served as Director of Special Projects for the Pennsylvania Department of State and Special Assistant to the Secretary of the Commonwealth. Previously, he was appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell to serve as Executive Director of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs.

Nationally, Bristol Colón was one of the founders and first-elected National Chair of the United States Council on Latino Affairs – an organization formed by nationwide governor’s boards and commissions to advance the status of the more than 55 million Latinos in the United States. He was also elected National Chair of the Interstate Migrant Education Council, the national policy organization advocating for the nation’s migrant children and families based in Washington, DC. On June 2015, Norman Bristol Colon was the recipient of the first-ever Doctorate Degree Honoris Causa in Community Service from the Colegio de Formación Teologica Ministerial for his service statewide and nationally to advance the status of underserved communities.

A native of Puerto Rico, Mr. Bristol Colon resides in Lancaster where he is an active member of the community serving on numerous boards and committees. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University and is a proud member of the Penn State Alumni Association.

Allison E. Feeney, Ph.D., Professor

Allison E. Feeney is a professor of Geography and Earth Science at Shippensburg University. Dr. Feeney earned her Ph.D. from Michigan State University focusing on cartography and the communication and educational aspects of dynamic mapping. While her primary teaching responsibilities at Shippensburg for the past 20 years have involved the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and cartography, the past eight years of her research has examined the history of beer in Pennsylvania and the craft beer industry’s growth, economic impacts, and contributions to sustainable development.

Jennifer Gibbs, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

Jennifer C. Gibbs joined the faculty at Penn State Harrisburg in 2013 as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the School of Public Affairs. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Gibbs served as a victim advocate in Niagara Falls, New York. Dr. Gibbs earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she completed her dissertation focusing on the influence of police and state legitimacy on terrorist attacks targeting police in 82 countries – research that won the Homicide Research Working Group 2012 Richard Block Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Dr. Gibbs’ research interests include policing, terrorism, violence and victimization and the scholarship of teaching and learning. Notably, her work on social distance and attitudes toward police, entitled “Race and attitudes toward police: the mediating effect of social distance”, co-authored with Dr. Jonathan Lee, was selected as a highly commended paper in the 2016 Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

Adam Grundy, Supervisory Statistician

Adam began his career at the Census Bureau in 2009 as part of the Investment Goods Industries Branch in the Manufacturing and Construction Division (MCD). Shortly after, Adam moved to the Economic Indicators Division (EID) to work as a survey analyst in the Manufacturer’s Shipments, Inventories and Orders Survey (M3). Adam most recently worked in the Economy-Wide Statistics Division (EWD) as a survey analyst in the Healthcare and Education Branch. He helped analyze data for both the ECON Census as well as the Services Annual Survey.

Adam received a bachelor’s degree in Human Studies and a certification in Elementary Education. He lives in Wheaton, MD with his wife Jill, son Bennett, and daughters Julia & Cecilia. Adam enjoys playing soccer, golf, and singing in a cover band.

Kelly Hoffman, Vice President of Data and Strategy

Kelly Hoffman joined Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children in July 2012 as the KIDS COUNT Director where she collects and analyzes data detailing the conditions of Pennsylvania’s children in PPC’s areas of policy emphasis. The information Kelly provides is used to develop and review policy proposals and regularly produce detailed reports on her findings and conclusions. In addition, Kelly handles regular requests for information and technical assistance from a broad array of constituencies, including policymakers. In January 2019, Kelly was promoted to Vice President of Data and Strategy which expands her data work to more strategic planning and directing organizational planning efforts in areas including human resources and technology.

Kelly also serves on the national KIDS COUNT Steering Committee and regularly updates the Pennsylvania KIDS COUNT Data Center. Prior to joining PPC, Kelly was the Statistical Analyst Supervisor at the commonwealth’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning where she gained more than 11 years of experience working with early childhood education data and systems.

Robert Isenberg, Market Research Division Chief

Robert Isenberg joined the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) in 2010 where he is responsible for analysis of marketing programs, product lifecycles and trends in the beverage alcohol market. Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a Master of Arts from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. His professional interests include crime, security, career development for social science students and Sabermetrics.

Johnathan Johnson, Senior Policy Analyst

Johnathan Johnson is a senior policy analyst with nearly 29 years of experience in analyzing and evaluating rural policies and programs for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

Noemi Mendez, Data Dissemination Specialist

Noemi Mendez is a Data Dissemination Specialist at the United States Census Bureau. Currently, she is responsible for public relations, outreach and training the public on how to access and use census data. She specializes in working with grant writers, GIS users, businesses and the educational institutions. In addition to holding these positions in the federal government, Noemi has worked at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice and as a GIS/Logistics consultant in the private sector. She teaches GIS courses at Johns Hopkins University and Temple University. Noemi has a B.A. in Geography and International Relations from Syracuse University.

Noemi is also a member of Gamma Theta Upsilon International Geographic Honor Society, Association of American Geographers, Women in GIS and the Society of Women Geographers. She is a board member at the Maryland State Geographic Information Committee (MSGIC) and serves as an advisor for the Temple University Professional Masters in GIS.

Rachael Miller, Child Welfare Policy Director

Rachael Miller is the Child Welfare Policy Director for PPC. In this role, she assists the organization in the development of child welfare policy, as well as providing tenacious advocacy for the advancement of best practice initiatives to promote the safety, permanency, and well-being of all children and youth in Pennsylvania. Prior to joining PPC, Rachael spent almost 10 years at the York County Office for Children, Youth, and Families. At the county child welfare agency, she served in multiple layers of the organization, including direct service case management, direct service supervision, quality improvement management, as well as serving as the Educational Liaison. In addition to her technical experience, Rachael has prior experience as a former child impacted by the Child Welfare System, making this both a professional and personal mission.

Lynne V. Newman, Partnership Specialist

Lynne V. Newman is a Partnership Specialist under the Community Engagement Program for the 2020 Census. She is based out of the US Census Bureau’s Philadelphia Regional Census Center. As Partnership Specialist, she is charged with promoting the 2020 Census by identifying challenging areas with low response rates, identifying and engaging trusted members of various faith based and community based organizations in the hard to count areas.

David O'Malley, Data Analyst

David O’Malley has been The Benefits Data Trust since July 2013. During this time, he has built and refined much of the community outreach data infrastructure for the organization. Before joining BDT, David attended the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Design; earning degrees in Urban Spatial Analysis and Historic Preservation, both with a focus on community development. He also worked with Temple University’s Department of Rehabilitation Services, analyzing data and presenting results for projects focused on the well-being of individuals with disabilities.

KaNin Reese, Chief of CEDSCI

KaNin Reese is the Chief of the Dissemination Outreach Branch at the U.S. Census Bureau, where she engages internal and external stakeholders in the future of data dissemination. KaNin joined the Census in 2005 as a survey statistician and worked on various surveys and programs including the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the American Community Survey, and the Small Area Estimates Program as an income and poverty analyst. In 2012, she became the Data Products Coordinator representing the demographic subject matter area on ACS data products and web-based and mobile applications. For the past two years, KaNin has been responsible for the communications and outreach efforts for the Census API and the new data dissemination platform, data.census.gov. KaNin has a master's degree in sociology from University of Mississippi and a bachelor's degree in sociology and psychology from Texas A&M University.

Robert Stabs, Geographer

Robert Stabs is a Geographer for the Philadelphia Regional Office. The 2020 Decennial will be his second Decennial Census as he served in the same role in 2010. As a Geographer he provides geographic support for all decennial operations. Additionally, he has worked as a Geospatial Technician for BAE Systems, a contractor for the Department of Defense.

Mr. Stabs graduated from Millersville University in 2002 with a degree in Geography. He continued his education in the field of Geography at West Chester University in pursuit of a Master’s Degree. Additionally, he graduated from Rutgers Law School-Camden with a Juris Doctorate in 2015. He has served as a law clerk in The Superior Court of New Jersey and has passed the bar exam in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Emily Strohacker, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice

Emily R. Strohacker joined the faculty at Penn State Harrisburg in 2017 as an Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice in the School of Public Affairs. Dr. Strohacker received her M.A and Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida’s Department of Sociology, where she completed her dissertation focusing on the impact of strain on adolescent cyberbully offenders, while accounting for the mediating effects of peer association, as well as drug and alcohol use. Her areas of research include criminology, deviance, and victimology, specifically in the areas of cybercrimes and human trafficking.

Jessica Trimble, Local Government Policy Specialist | Planner

Jessica Trimble is a Local Government Policy Specialist in the PA DCED’s Center for Local Government Services. In this capacity, Trimble participates in statewide Planning and GIS initiatives and provides technical assistance to local governments on the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (MPC). Her professional background also includes experience in Community Development Block Grants, federal affordable housing programs, and various state programs. Trimble is a graduate of Penn State Harrisburg’s Master of Public Administration program.

Paul Turcotte, Research Associate

Paul Turcotte is the Data Director for the ASERT Collaborative Eastern Region at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute. Paul has experience in examining healthcare use, primarily in Medicaid claims data, and has done other program evaluation in conjunction with the PA Department of Human Services. Paul has a master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Drexel University.

Kate Verstreate, Data Analyst

Kate Verstreate is a Data Analyst for the ASERT Collaborative Eastern Region at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute. Kate has experience analyzing and visualizing survey data as well as Medicaid claims data. Kate has a master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology from the University at Albany.

King J. Whetstone, Regional Director

King Whetstone, Regional Director, with USDA’s NASS Northeastern Regional Field Office. King has been with USDA/NASS for 22yrs and has worked in several locations, including DC, Arkansas, OK, NY, Hawaii, and TX. Born and raised in Texas were his family is still involved in agriculture. He earned a degree in Ag. Economics from Prairie View A&M and his wife and daughter currently reside in Mechanicsburg, PA.