By Stephen M. Gavazzi, Ph.D.

The Latest News, Views, and Announcements

What's New at CHRR

I’m pleased to share that Katie Jennings joined CHRR in early May as a Quantitative Data Specialist, where she supports work with the Ohio Longitudinal Data Archive (OLDA). Prior to joining CHRR, Katie served as a Research Associate at the Ohio Education Research Center (OERC), where she partnered with government stakeholders to develop interactive dashboards, produce reports, and coordinate project deliverables across teams. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science in Public Policy Analysis and a certificate in Education Ethics and Social Justice.

With a background in education and workforce policy, research methods, and data visualization, Katie is excited to grow with the CHRR and OERC teams. Katie shares, “I’m excited to develop as an applied social data scientist and contribute to longitudinal, interdisciplinary projects that improve the quality and accessibility of research in education, workforce, and administrative systems.”

CHRR’s Leadership Team

The Quarterly Check-In (QCI) meetings are intended to provide a consistent, structured opportunity for CHRR supervisors and their direct reports to engage in meaningful conversations about professional growth, performance, and innovation. To strengthen this process and ensure predictability across the organization, QCIs will be scheduled at standard intervals throughout the year – August, November, and February – with Annual Reviews continuing to take place in May. Establishing this rhythm creates a clear cadence for reflection, goal setting, and progress monitoring, helping both supervisors and staff remain aligned on priorities and expectations.

By anchoring QCIs at these points in the calendar, CHRR can better support ongoing development while avoiding the congestion that often accompanies end-of-year evaluations. The August check-in allows for early alignment as the academic year begins (including goal setting!). The November meeting provides an opportunity to assess momentum and make adjustments before the end of the calendar year, while the February session offers a timely checkpoint in advance of Annual Reviews.

Together, these structured touchpoints reinforce a culture of continuous feedback, accountability, and forward-thinking innovation across the organization. In essence, this is our working definition of a high-performance culture.

To ensure that these conversations are as effective and well-informed as possible, supervisors are expected to meet with their direct reports prior to holding their own QCI discussions with their supervisors. This sequencing allows supervisors to bring forward a more complete and grounded understanding of their team members’ progress, challenges, and development needs. It also reinforces a leadership approach that is attentive and responsive to staff perspectives, ensuring that insights from across the organization inform higher-level discussions. By cascading conversations upward in this way, CHRR strengthens alignment, improves the quality of supervisory dialogue, and promotes a more integrated approach to professional development and organizational learning.

CHRR Team Member Celebrations

"The best way to appreciate your team is to imagine yourself without one." -Joy Stevens

June is another one of those months where there currently is an absence of any CHRR team member celebrating their work anniversary. So, let me please take this moment to express how grateful I am for ALL our employees! THANK YOU!!!

Things You Might Want to Know

CHRR-NORC Leadership Teams Join BLS Colleagues in Washington, DC

Last month I accompanied Amanda Roose and Rosella Gardecki as our CHRR team visited the DC offices of NORC at the University of Chicago, joining our Bureau of Labor Statistics colleagues for the Spring 2026 Quarterly Management Meeting of the National Longitudinal Studies initiative.

Special thanks to Lisa Blumerman and her team for their warm and welcoming hospitality during our visit!