Staff
Ed Sivak - Director esivak@mepconline.org
Ed Sivak is the founding director of the Mississippi Economic Policy Center (MEPC). As director, Sivak coordinates MEPC's policy efforts to advance public policy issues that improve the quality of life for low-income and low-wealth Mississippians. Prior to joining ECD, Sivak worked as a graduate fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership (formerly the Center for the Study of Voluntary Organizations and Service) and as an intern at the Aspen Institute. He also coordinated programs at L'Arche Irenicon, a nonprofit organization that provides homes to adults with developmental disabilities. Sivak holds a Master of Public Policy from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in History and English from Marquette University. He is a former member of the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Advisory Council.
Antwyn Brown - Policy Analyst abrown@mepconline.org
Antwyn Brown is a policy analyst with the Mississippi Economic Policy Center (MEPC). At MEPC, Mr. Brown’s focus is directed towards analyzing and communicating the implications of state budget decisions on working families. He is also examining the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on Mississippians. Mr. Brown worked for several years as an Evaluator with the Mississippi Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, where he worked extensively on state health policy issues such as quality of inmate care within state correctional facilities and access to medical care at state colleges and universities. Mr. Brown has a master of public policy from Mississippi State University and a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Tougaloo College. Mr. Brown is an adjunct professor and a certified paralegal. Mr. Brown volunteers his time with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Jackson, Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society, Jackson Public School System and Habitat for Humanity.
Krista Buckhalter - Communications Coordinator kbuckhalter@mepconline.org
Krista Buckhalter is communication coordinator for the Mississippi Economic Policy Center (MEPC). As the communication coordinator, her work primarily focuses on marketing and communications initiatives. She works to increase the visibility of MEPC's work and coordinates the policy center's annual conference. Her activities include designing and developing print materials for internal and external audiences, maintaining MEPC's web site, creating list-serve updates, and writing press releases for noteworthy events. She has a bachelor's degree in Radio Television and Film from the University of Southern Mississippi.
Sara Miller - Senior Policy Analyst smiller@mepconline.org
Sara Miller is Senior Policy Analyst for the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. As a senior policy analyst, Miller primarily focuses her work on Mississippi tax and budget issues. Before working at the Mississippi Economic Policy Center, she served for three years as an Evaluator for the Mississippi Legislature’s Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER). She went to Louisiana State University for her undergraduate degree and was awarded a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University. Before and during graduate school, she worked at a nonprofit HIV/AIDS organization in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and at the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. She lives in her hometown of Hattiesburg with her husband, David, and beagle, Houston.
Sarah Welker - Policy Analyst swelker@mepconline.org
Sarah Welker is a Policy Analyst for the Mississippi Economic Policy Center (MEPC). As a Policy Analyst, Ms. Welker focuses her work within MEPC’s Income and Working Families issue area. Before coming to the Mississippi Economic Policy Center, she worked as the Data Analyst for KIPP Delta Public Schools in Helena, AR. She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and graduated summa cum laude with degrees in Economics and Public Policy Analysis. During her time at UNC Chapel Hill, she worked with the Hunger Pilot Research Project researching the provision of emergency food assistance through North Carolina’s food banks. Ms. Welker also worked for the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where she focused on issues related to the state’s prisoner reentry infrastructure.