Strengthening the public sector from within

Julie is passionate about helping others; she has dedicated her life to serving the public through both career and civic involvement. During her 16 years with the city of Kansas City, Missouri, Julie served as a Cookingham-Noll Fellow, Budget Analyst, Co-Lead for DataKC, Chief Financial Officer for the Parks and Recreation Department, and Business and Capital Planning Coordinator. As Co-Lead for the DataKC team, Julie managed the implementation and ongoing evolution of the City’s KCStat public performance management system. She coordinated design and administration of the City’s employee engagement survey and facilitated a citywide workshop to create workforce strategies relating to the data, including the Deputy Exchange program. Julie spearheaded the City’s “Art of Data” exhibit in partnership with the artistic community. She also created and taught Process Improvement Academy, a Lean Six Sigma based training program. Julie graduated from the University of Evansville with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and from the O’Neill School at Indiana University, where she earned a Masters in Public Affairs with an emphasis on local government management. She was a member of the 2020 class of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program and a recipient of the inaugural American Society of Public Administrators Emerging Leaders award. She currently serves on the board of Show Me KC Schools. In homage to the company name, Julie can often be found on her porch well into the evening, hosting friends, reading, or solving the world’s problems with her husband, daughter and orange cat.

Kate is dedicated to helping cities use data-driven analysis and storytelling to understand their processes and better serve the community. For 15 years, she worked for the city of Kansas City, Missouri, beginning as a Cookingham-Noll Fellow, followed by Co-Lead for DataKC and most recently as Chief Analytics Officer. As Co-Lead for the DataKC team, Kate designed and managed the City’s KCStat public performance management system. She oversaw administration of the City’s resident and business surveys and worked to integrate them into the City’s strategic planning efforts. Kate launched a new home page for Open Data KC and oversaw the City’s data storytelling efforts across multiple platforms. She developed and delivered the Data Academy training program to city employees and community partners, including a module for managers. Kate earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brown University and a Master of Urban Planning degree from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University. She was a member of the 2013 class of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program and the 2020 class for the Greater Missouri Leadership Challenge. She was a participant in the inaugural Bloomberg-Harvard City Leadership Initiative in 2017-2018 and a recipient of the inaugural American Society of Public Administrators Emerging Leaders award. Kate lives in Kansas City with her husband, two teenagers, a dog and a cat. She has 400 books (and counting) on her to-be-read list and will always say yes to a historic house tour. She currently serves on the boards of City Year KC and KCUR.

Lauron joined PorchLight Insights in April 2024 as a Project Manager. Previous to this role, she was the Data Science Manager with the Workforce Development Office of the City of San Antonio, Texas. In this role, she used data analysis and visualization to describe, measure, and manage the progress of Ready to Work, San Antonio’s unprecedented education and job placement program which began enrolling participants in May 2022. In this role, she was also part of the City’s Data Informed Government Program, the Bloomberg Philanthropies City Data Alliance, and the Opportunity Accelerator Collaborative. Lauron has 10 years of experience in local government, including one year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Fellow with the City of Indianapolis Mayor’s Office for Education Innovation, two years in the Bexar County Budget Department, and the remainder with the City of San Antonio in several departments. She is the immediate past President of the Urban Management Association of South Texas (UMAST). Lauron holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Public Affairs from Indiana University with concentrations in Policy Analysis and Public Finance.

Ruanda has dedicated her career to public service in local government and higher education. Ruanda has spent more than a decade in a variety of roles in student admissions, community development, planning and housing. She began her career at her undergraduate alma mater, Hendrix College, where she served as Assistant Director of Admissions. In this role, Ruanda saw firsthand the disparities in educational access based on where someone lives. This experience shaped her passion for serving local communities and supporting place-based solutions. Ruanda began her local government career as a Planning Intern at the City of Madison, Wisconsin and a Cookingham-Noll Fellow with the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Ruanda later supported the City’s Housing Division by managing contracts for CDBG funds, overseeing special projects and developing policies and procedures. Prior to joining PorchLight Insights, Ruanda continued her work in housing serving as the Community Development Coordinator for the City of Overland Park, Kansas, overseeing all aspects of the City's CDBG program. Ruanda earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Hendrix College, a Master of Public Affairs, and a Master of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her spare time, Ruanda enjoys exploring the outdoors and visiting with family in her home state of Arkansas.