Yesterday, I was able to sit down with Barbara Sharp, PhD, our new Data Quality Assurance & Analysis Manager to learn more about her and the world of data.
Barbara will be serving as the agency's primary data compiler of statewide data collection, analyzing a broad range of issues that affect county public works departments, creating dashboards and reporting tools for data-driven decisions, and developing recommendations for policy and program changes.
Tell me more about your educational background.
I earned a Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland at College Park (Go Terps!) and a Master's Degree in Justice Studies from Arizona State University (Go Sundevils!).
You have spent a significant amount of time in federal and state government. What was your path here?
I started out interning at the US Sentencing Commission when I was in graduate school in Maryland. Then, in 2003, I began my career at the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Program Analyst, first in the Financial Division and then in Operations Management. Later, I worked internationally at the US Embassy to Bangkok, Thailand and lived overseas for six years. When my tour ended, I returned home and decided to make the jump from federal to state government. I served in the Oregon Judicial Department in Portland at the Multnomah County Courthouse before transitioning to the Washington State Department of Corrections.
In all of the organizations I worked for, I want them to look their best. Accomplishing the "mission" of an organization requires a way to measure improvement, and that is what data is for. I want to turn data into easily accessible information, use it to share stories, and help make information a valuable resource that people can turn to for answers. Geographically, I love how green Washington is and enjoy time outdoors with my dog, Lola, and mountain biking.
What brought you to CRAB?
I am at point in my career and life where I wanted to find an organization where I feel more like family, versus a position number, and a role where I can accomplish more. For example, in a previous role, research data was being collected using incarcerated individuals. I strongly believed that they ought to be compensated for their voluntary contributions to the research, but it was against policy. It took 3 years to successfully change that policy, but I did. I'm looking forward to an organization where I can get more done, more effectively.
You are on day one of the job. What are your top priorities for data quality and analysis here?
I'm looking forward to jumping into the existing data sets to see what CRAB has; I'll be rolling up my sleeves to see what can be connected, transformed, and visually displayed, as well as what could be further cleaned up. My goals are to find the outliers and the trends, see what information is being requested the most, and work to help create useful visuals for the data.
Welcome aboard, Barbara!
Jacque Netzer
Communications Director