About Us
We are a diverse group of local professionals who help people access data and make it useful in improving community conditions. We help connect people who need data to people who have data and assist in accessing, analyzing, translating, interpreting and presenting data. We can help you ask the right questions to get the right data, put it into a local context, present it visually and put it to work in addressing issues important to you. We subscribe to the principles of the Urban Institute’s National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership and work to democratize data by building local capacity, sharing best practices and helping users sort through the data to surface, explain and address issues of concern. We know this takes technical expertise, knowledge of local context, the ability to convene and collaborate with multiple stakeholders and trust.
Our Team
Dr. Victor Amaya
President and Executive Director
Dr. Victor Amaya leads DYCU’s strategy and operations with a goal of helping the organization drive impact to improve conditions in the community.
Hannah Bessenecker
Community Outreach & Data Communication Specialist
Hannah is a Trinity Fellow at Marquette University pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Service. She is interested in housing equity, healthcare, and food security.
Amy Rohan
Data & Research Analyst
Amy Rohan is an expert in engaging residents on the issues they have identified as priorities and applies this lens when collecting and sharing data.
Rohan Katti
Data Intern
Rohan is a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health with a focus in biostatistics.
Danya M.F. Littlefield
Data & Research Analyst
Danya is an urban planner and experienced project manager with a passion for telling community stories through data and graphics.
Our Board
Christina Acevedo Packard
Board Treasurer
As a mission-driven financial professional, Christina Acevedo Packard has extensive experience in providing financial management to local, national, and international non-profit organizations.
T.J. Cobb
Board Member
T.J. Cobb is a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is committed to addressing inequities within her community. T.J.’s mission is to inspire and serve others by setting a standard of excellence with integrity and accountability.
Ian B. Bautista
Board Chair
Ian B. Bautista serves as the Senior Director of Civic Engagement at the Greater Milwaukee Foundation. He has worked his entire career in the nonprofit and public sectors on the local, regional and national levels.
Tom Hlavacek
Vice Board Chair
Tom Hlavacek retired in 2017 after a 35 year career in non-profit management, advocacy and public policy. Tom served for 10 years at United Cerebral Palsy helping people with disabilities move out of institutions and into their own homes.
Cheryl Blue
Board Member
Cheryl Blue was born and raised in Milwaukee, and one of her main goals is to expand Milwaukee’s renaissance to include the 30th Street Industrial Corridor, sparking an economic resurgence for businesses and residents in the area.
Paula Lucey, PhD, CNE
Board Secretary
Paula Lucey has worn many hats in healthcare, mental health services and social services in the Milwaukee area before her current role as Program Director of the UW Milwaukee School of Nursing Master’s program
Our Network
Salma Abadin
Salma Abadin is an Action Researcher and Evaluator with the University of Wisconsin (UW) Population Health Institute with expertise in research design.
Anneliese M. Dickman
Anneliese is a policy researcher and program evaluator. Formerly, she was the research director of Wisconsin’s only non-partisan policy think tank.
Gerardo Mares
Gerardo Mares is a Data Analyst with the Milwaukee Public Schools. He previously worked as a crime analyst for the Milwaukee Police Department.
Mariam Ashour
Mariam Ashour is Trinity Fellow at Marquette University. Before moving to Milwaukee, Mariam worked at the Urban Institute in Washington D.C.
Marques Hogans Sr.
Marques identifies as a Public Health professional with a passion for racial and health equity to influence change for the Social Determinants of Health. He supports DYCU in work involving communities of color and evaluation.
David Pate
David Pate is an expert on low-income African-American men, fatherhood, and child support, and engages with fathers to promote health literacy.
Kris Barnekow, PhD., OTR/L
Kris Barnekow is the owner of Families First, LLC which provides occupational therapy consultation to organizations that serve young children and families.
Sarah Laurent
Sarah Laurent is an Epidemiology PhD candidate at the UW Milwaukee. Her research interests include the effects of the built environment on public health.
Kathleen Pritchard
Katie is the former Executive Director of DYCU. She specializes in helping clients ask the right questions, find the right data, and use it to address community issues.