Founding i-Team Members
Dr. Lindsay Quarles, Project Manager
Responsibilities
- Leads day-to-day project planning, ensuring deliverables, timelines, and budgets align with i-team objectives. Forges and maintains partnerships with internal and external District stakeholders, including the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University. Monitors project progress and communicates updates to the i-team, project sponsors, and other stakeholders.
- Forges and maintains partnerships with internal and external District stakeholders, including the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University.
- Monitors project progress and communicates updates to the i-team, project sponsors, and other stakeholders.
Background and Experience
- Served as Director of Learning at OneGoal, a national education non-profit dedicated to helping underserved high school students meet their postsecondary aspirations.
- Previously held positions in the central office at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) and contributed to research initiatives at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).
- Applied her social-science expertise to develop data-driven, equity-focused solutions that support students’ success in Washington, D.C. and beyond.
Education and Affiliations
- Earned a bachelor’s degree from The Ohio State University.
- Holds a Ph.D. in Applied Social Psychology from Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA.
- Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Personal
- Actively volunteers for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop and serves as President of the E.W. Stokes East End PTO.
- Proud wife, mother, and community activist committed to uplifting Washington, D.C. neighborhoods.
Paul Elliott, Community Engagement & Communication Manager
Responsibilities
- Develops and implements communication strategies that showcase the i-team’s innovations and engage the community at large.
- Builds and strengthens relationships with District stakeholders, and other external partners.
- Works closely with project leads to promote key messages, success stories, and developments across i-team initiatives.
Background and Experience
- Advised tech startups, financial services firms, small businesses, and CEO coalitions on external affairs.
- Served as a principal government affairs officer in the energy sector, managing stakeholder engagement across multiple states.
- Former Press Secretary to New York State’s Chief Financial Officer; Media Advisor to then-U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton; Public Affairs Advisor at the U.S. Department of the Treasury; Deputy Press Secretary to former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg; and National Deputy Director of Delegate Selection for the Hillary Clinton 2008 Presidential Campaign.
Education and Affiliations
- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Fordham University.
- Native of the Bronx, New York, with extensive experience in government relations and public affairs.
Peter Varley, Web Developer
Responsibilities
- Maintains, optimizes, and enhances the i-team’s digital applications, ensuring a seamless user experience.
- Collaborates with colleagues to integrate emerging technologies and best practices in web development.
- Identifies opportunities for innovation across District government web infrastructure, guiding user-focused improvements.
Background and Experience
- Web Developer at The Motley Fool from 2006 to 2019, focusing on user-friendly, data-driven web solutions.
- Held web development roles at Wall Street On Demand (2003–2006) and Premier Data Services (2000–2003), building and refining websites for financial services clients.
Education and Affiliations
- Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sydney.
- Associate degree in Web Development, Red Rock Community College.
New i-Team members since August 2024
Mariza June Avila, Service Designer
Responsibilities
- Designs and facilitates co-creation sessions that incorporate diverse stakeholder perspectives to shape resident-focused solutions.
- Leads prototyping and testing phases for new ideas, iterating on user feedback to refine service designs.
- Ensures all i-team project workflows are user-centered, inclusive, and grounded in evidence-based design principles.
Background and Experience
- Served as Associate Visual Designer at Education Design Lab in Washington, D.C., overseeing brand compliance and producing marketing materials.
- Supported the MICA Center for Social Design’s collaboration with the Baltimore City Health Department’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, prototyping an e-newsletter for the Baltimore City Health Department’s V.A.L.U.E. campaign.
- Previously interned on the Early Childhood Education team at the Maryland Science Center, leading in-person co-creation workshops applying human-centered design methodologies.
Education and Affiliations
- Earned an Associate in Art from Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring (Visual & Performing Arts Department).
- Graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design from the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), emphasizing user-centered design.
Sai Srujan Simhadri, Technical Developer (PeopleSoft HCM Technical Developer)
Responsibilities
- Develops, implements, and maintains PeopleSoft HCM technical solutions, including custom pages, Application Engine programs, SQR reports, and integrations using PeopleCode, Integration Broker, and BI Publisher.
- Coordinates with HR subject‑matter experts and OCTO technical teams to support the eRecruit operation and advise other developers on best practices.
- Designs and enforces documented standards and procedures for module lifecycles—covering development, testing (unit, system, UAT), deployment, and upgrades of PeopleTools 8.54+.
- Troubleshoots production issues, manages interfaces and analytical tools, and provides training and documentation to ensure district‑wide compliance and smooth operation.
Background and Experience
- Over 10 years of experience designing, developing, and implementing PeopleSoft HCM solutions across Core HR, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Management, and Time & Labor modules.
- Expert in debugging complex payroll processes, customizing online paychecks, and enhancing retirement and pension reporting.
- Skilled in creating HCM reports and queries with SQR and PS Query to improve data visibility and inform business decisions.
- Hands‑on experience with system upgrades, PUM retrofitting, PeopleTools upgrades, and Phire migration tools, ensuring minimal disruption.
- Proven record in technical support—resolving production issues, collaborating with cross‑functional teams, and delivering training to new and advanced users.
Education and Affiliations
- Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Visakhapatnam, India.
Srikanth Gurram, PeopleSoft eRecruit Subject Matter Expert
Responsibilities
- Conducts detailed fit‑gap analyses between current PeopleSoft Talent Acquisition modules (TAM and Candidate Gateway) and stakeholder requirements.
- Gathers, analyzes, and documents functional and technical requirements, serving as the primary liaison between DCHR and OCTO technical teams.
- Provides subject‑matter expertise to optimize recruitment workflows through configuration, customization, and testing (unit, system, UAT, SQA).
- Delivers training, troubleshooting, and documentation for new features and PUM updates to ensure seamless adoption and ongoing system efficiency.
Background and Experience
- Over 21 years of IT leadership in development, analysis, design, and implementation of PeopleSoft HCM, FSCM, Campus Solutions, and Workday HCM.
- Led major ERP system implementations, upgrades, migrations, integrations, and enhancements.
- Proven ability to guide cross‑functional teams, manage end‑to‑end release cycles, and maintain governance in complex multi‑agency environments.
Education and Affiliations
- Master of Business Administration, University of Colorado Denver
- Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science & Information Technology, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, India
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP); ITIL Foundation Certificate; PeopleTools Certification
- Chair, HEUG HCM Advisory Group (2019–2020) & Alliance HCM Track (2018–2019); Member, Oracle Focus Group – PeopleSoft Testing Framework (2019–2021)
Belindah Jones, User Experience (UX) Project Lead
Responsibilities
- Leads end‑to‑end UX design and implementation of digital hiring system improvements, partnering with OCTO, DCHR, developers, and external stakeholders.
- Conducts and synthesizes quantitative and qualitative user research, usability testing, and cross‑departmental workshops to map business processes and user journeys.
- Creates site maps, flow diagrams, wireframes, and high‑fidelity prototypes within Figma, applying a consistent UI style guide and iterating through user feedback.
- Oversees deployment of UX/UI enhancements, sets performance targets, and monitors metrics to ensure seamless applicant and HR staff experiences.
Background and Experience
- Visionary Senior UX Designer with a track record of reducing onboarding times by 76% and boosting process efficiency by 83% through human‑centered design.
- Certified UX professional (NN/g), skilled in stakeholder management, service design, information architecture, and workshop facilitation.
- Led strategic design initiatives at Capital One Financial Services, delivering journey maps, service blueprints, and digital interfaces.
- Served as Adjunct Professor at University of Maryland Global Campus and UI Designer for the U.S. Coast Guard, applying design principles in academic and government settings.
- Co‑founder and leader of a Service Design Community of Practice, promoting enterprise‑wide design excellence through collaborative workshops and learning sessions.
Education and Affiliations
- Master of Fine Arts & Master of Arts in Art & Design, University of Iowa
- Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Studies, Iowa State University
- UX Certified (NN/g)
- Member, Toastmasters International; Member, International UX Professionals Association
Rebecca H. Jeudin, Senior Researcher
Responsibilities
- Collects, organizes, and analyzes quantitative and qualitative data to inform the i-team’s projects and policy solutions.
- Develops metrics, measurement frameworks, and data‑validation practices to evaluate initiative impact and drive continuous improvement.
- Plans and facilitates co‑creation workshops and community outreach events to ensure inclusive stakeholder engagement and ideation.
- Produces intuitive data visualizations and collaborates across the team to translate insights into actionable recommendations.
Background and Experience
- Research, Evaluation, and Impact Measurement expert with 12+ years of experience designing and leading complex studies, evaluations, and specialized research to inform policy and strategic program adaptation.
- Managed large-scale international development program portfolios across sectors including education, economic growth, workforce development, food security, energy, and global health.
- Demonstrated success in building robust measurement systems, delivering strategic insights, and managing high-performing, cross-functional teams at RTI International, EDC, Tetra Tech, and with multilateral donors.
- Skilled in advanced analytics and statistical tools (Stata, SPSS, NVivo, Atlas.ti, QDA Miner, ArcGIS) to support evidence-based decision-making.
- Led communities of practice and Tiger Teams focused on research, monitoring, resilience, adaptive programming, and digital innovation (GIS, AI) for learning.
Education and Affiliations
- Master of Public & International Affairs (International Political Economy), University of Pittsburgh
- Bachelor of Arts in International Studies & Political Science, Spelman College
- Certificates: Project Management for Development Professionals (APMG), Global Studies Sustainable Development & Latin American Studies (University of Pittsburgh), Political Science (Université de Robert Schuman Science Po)
- Affiliations: American Evaluation Association, Black Professionals in International Affairs, Education in Crisis Network, YouthPower Evidence and Evaluation Network
- Fluent in English, French, and Haitian Creole