Former Staff
Chris Wodicka
Chris focuses on tax policy issues at TCI and helps to support the policy team’s overall analysis and research capacity. His prior experience includes positions at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and with the State of Wisconsin’s Legislative Audit Bureau. He has also worked in schools in Seattle, WA and Pryor, MT. He graduated with an M.P.A. from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Bloomington and a B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame.
Chad Stewart
Chad leads policy research and advocacy for P-12 education at TCI. He also serves as a coordinator for the Fund Our Schools coalition. He is passionate about improving social welfare outcomes for all Virginians. Before joining TCI, Chad worked as a middle school math teacher in Detroit, Michigan and the Richmond metro area. His prior professional experience also includes conducting research in health care and the microfinance sector. Chad has a master’s degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Education and a B.A. in Economics from Connecticut College.
Kathy Mendes
Kathy contributes across all policy research areas as a policy analyst, and leads TCI’s research on school integration policy. She also supports TCI’s data visualization capacity by thinking creatively about and implementing new ways to present data and information to the public. Born and raised in the state, she is committed to social, economic, and racial justice in Virginia and doing the work to advance it. Prior to joining TCI, Kathy worked in the nonprofit sector with an organization focused on addressing inequality in education, providing daily literacy interventions for students in grades K-3 in Richmond Public Schools. She earned her Bachelor of Science in sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Brittany Baldwin
Brittany manages and monitors TCI’s grant portfolio by coordinating and contributing to the writing and completion of grant proposals, as well as assisting to increase fundraising and development efforts. Brittany previously worked in grants management and consulting, counseling, and education. In this role, Brittany is able to contribute to multiple initiatives which she feels adhere to the valued principles of humanity for all Virginians and work toward her passions — helping others obtain and maintain quality of life through equitable educational programs, quality health care, and financial sustainability. She graduated with an MBA and Master’s in Professional Counseling from Liberty University and a B.A. in Sociology from James Madison University.
Emily King
Emily is a Senior Policy Analyst and leads our Decriminalization of Poverty campaign, helping to dismantle policies that create poverty cycles for people in the criminal legal system, including court-imposed fines & fees. Emily previously worked for a non-profit where she advocated for increased behavioral health care access for individuals with lower incomes. She brings a unique perspective and insight to the criminal legal system with experience working on the intersection of behavioral health policy and the justice system at the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Emily is a passionate team member who is dedicated to advancing policies that improve racial equity and reduce economic disparities. Emily earned her Bachelor of Science in political science from the University of Mary Washington.
Mel Borja
Mel Borja is TCI's Worker Power Policy Analyst. She works to build public knowledge about the benefits of collective bargaining in Virginia and partners with labor advocates to increase public support for strengthening collective bargaining rights at the local and state level. Mel also previously served as Vice Chair of the Virginia Office of New Americans Advisory Board. Previously, Mel managed the immigration casework portfolio in the Office of U.S. Senator Tim Kaine where she primarily focused on helping New Americans navigate the U.S. immigration system. In addition to legal aid and organizing experience, she has served in two of the three branches of Virginia state government as a 2018 Governor's Fellow in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and a Session Aide during the 2019 General Assembly. Born and raised in Virginia, Mel is the proud daughter of an Ecuadorian immigrant father & Puerto Rican mother. She earned her Bachelor's of Arts at the University of Virginia.
Loryn Crittendon
Loryn manages TCI’s social media accounts and digital products, broadening our reach and helping to ensure that folks across Virginia are able to engage in policy conversations. A Richmond native, Loryn earned her B.A. in African American & African Studies at the University of Virginia. During this time, she interned with four nonprofits, each with a mission to support various needs of marginalized communities. Following graduation, she worked as a content editor for a legal publishing company and as a technical writer on an Army contract. In both roles, she managed the review and execution of print and online deliverables with an eye for detail and reader comprehension. Loryn recently completed her M.A. in Communication at Johns Hopkins University and has shifted her professional focus back to supporting social justice missions.