Our Team
Carnevale Associates (CALLC) employs a diverse team of professionals with deep expertise in behavioral health and criminal justice.
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Raanan Kagan, Chief Operating Officer
Raanan oversees Carnevale Associates’ portfolio of behavioral health and criminal justice engagements and is responsible for day-to-day operations. He shapes internal policy to foster a thriving and dynamic culture, where personal and professional development accompany corporate growth. Over a 15+ year career with the firm, Raanan has overseen dozens of successful projects across Carnevale Associates’ portfolio, including two national evaluations of juvenile drug treatment courts and nine state-level substance use evaluations. His recent work is focused on youth, SUD treatment, and the opioid crisis and he is published in the International Journal of Drug Policy, Drug Court Review, Health & Justice, and Drugs: Education, Prevention & Policy. Raanan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Maryland, College Park.
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David Theiss, Director of Research & Evaluation
David directs Carnevale Associates’ portfolio of Research & Evaluation projects, leading teams focused on data analytics across several program evaluation and research projects. Under David’s supervision, the R&E team serves a diverse group of behavioral health clients at multiple levels of government, including the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, and the District Department of Behavioral Health. David also oversees the development of all of the firm’s external-facing and data visualization products across functional teams. While at the firm, David’s work has spanned several subject matter specialisms, ranging from biased-based policing, medication for opioid use disorders, drug courts, and layered interventions for unhoused individuals. He has over 15 years of research, data analysis, data communication, project management, and strategic planning experience in high-level settings in the U.S. and Europe. David holds a Master of Science degree from the London School of Economics.
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Robin LaVallee, Director of Criminal Justice Performance Management
Robin directs Carnevale Associates' Criminal Justice Performance Management team. She currently serves as the Deputy Task Lead for the USDOJ, Office of Justice Programs (OJP) Performance Management Project (PMP), working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In this role, she oversees performance measure development, analysis, and reporting; logic modeling; and strategic planning. Over her tenure at CALLC, she has led the evaluation of the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health’s State Opioid Response program, supported a study on the use of medication for opioid use disorder in jails for the NIH Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network, and provided performance management expertise to the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) within USDOJ OJP. Before joining CALLC, Robin conducted alcohol epidemiology and policy research for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). She has published in the American Journal of Public Health and holds a Master of Public Policy and Program Evaluation degree from the George Washington University.
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Josh Esrick, Chief of Training & Technical Assistance
Josh leads the firm’s portfolio of training & technical assistance (T/TA) projects, including multiple T/TA projects for SAMHSA. He specializes in substance use prevention and has overseen the development of hundreds of trainings and products for numerous clients, including six of SAMHSA’s ten regional Prevention Technology Transfer Centers (PTTCs), the PTTC Network Coordinating Office, the former Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies, and several Mental Health and Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (MHTTCs and ATTCs). Over more than a decade with Carnevale Associates, Josh has led or supported many other projects, such as evaluations of youth substance use treatment programs. He has published in the International Journal of Drug Policy; Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy; and the Journal of Applied Research on Children. Josh holds a Master of Public Policy degree from George Washington University.
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Lauren Pappacena, Senior Associate
Lauren works across the firm’s Research & Evaluation portfolio, specializing in program and policy evaluation at the intersection of substance use and criminal justice. She leads the reporting on training evaluations for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) and previously performed data collection for the qualitative component of an evaluation of juvenile drug treatment courts for the USDOJ. Before joining CALLC, Lauren served as Deputy Project Director for the National Institute of Justice’s CrimeSolutions.gov and the OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide. She has published in Health and Justice, the Journal of Human Rights and Social Work, and 21st Century Social Justice. Lauren holds a Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University.
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Emily Patton, Senior Associate
Emily serves across the firm’s portfolio, focusing on program evaluation, performance measurement, and training & technical assistance (T/TA). She leads reporting and analysis for multiple substance use and mental health program evaluations for the District of Columbia’s Department of Behavioral Health. Emily also serves as a T/TA Specialist, developing dozens of T/TA products across SAMHSA’s PTTC, ATTC, and MHTTC networks. Emily previously served as a Senior Research Associate with the USDOJ OJP PMP, where she provided expertise in performance measurement and grant management on topics including human trafficking and Tribal justice under the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Emily holds a Master of Science degree in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology from Swansea University.
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Sam Wilcox, Senior Associate
Sam supports the USDOJ, OJP PMP, working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). In this role, she manages and analyzes complex datasets to identify trends and gaps in grantee performance data, drafts reports for various audiences, creates performance measures, and leads trainings for grantees on best practices in performance data reporting. Sam responds to Congressional inquiries, federal agency audits, and other government data requests. In addition to her work for BJA, Sam serves as an editor for the firm’s consumer-facing products. She has publications in Justice Quarterly and Monitor on Psychology and holds a Master of Criminal Justice degree from University at Albany – State University of New York.
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Sarah Wisotsky, Senior Associate
Sarah provides analytical support on the USDOJ, OJP PMP, working as the lead research associate with the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP). In this role, she oversees a portfolio of eight OJJDP programs, primarily under the Special Victims and Violent Offenders Division. In addition to providing direct T/TA, Sarah manages the team’s data analysis, performance management, and ad hoc data requests. In her previous role, Sarah supported the Food and Drug Administration and US Department of Transportation as a technical editor. She has over 13 years of research, data analysis, and T/TA experience in psychology, forensic psychology, and juvenile justice. Sarah holds a Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology from George Washington University.
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Jeannine Bulbulia, Associate
Jeannine provides analytical support on the USDOJ, OJP PMP working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Focusing on law enforcement and tribal programs, she assists with program development, develops performance measures, analyzes performance data, and produces performance reports. Jeannine has a background in public health and criminal justice research, with over 10 years of experience in quantitative and qualitative analysis, data collection, analytical writing, program evaluation, project management, and performance measurement. Jeannine holds a Master of Criminal Justice degree from Boston University.
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Claire Crowley, Associate
Claire works within the Research & Evaluation portfolio, specializing in qualitative evaluation. Her primary focus is supporting multiple evaluations for SAMHSA’s Center for Substance Abuse Prevention. Claire has over five years of experience working on research and evaluation projects in governmental agencies, non-profits, and academic settings. She also has practice experience in clinical and advocacy work. Prior to joining Carnevale Associates, Claire was a Research Associate for the Research Foundation at City University New York. Her research expertise is in intimate partner violence, and she holds a Master of Science degree in Prevention Science from University of Oregon.
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Eva Juarez, Associate
Eva supports the USDOJ, OJP PMP, working with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). She manages and analyzes grantee performance data, assists with the development of performance measures, drafts performance reports, and responds to government data requests for programs focused on corrections/reentry and tribal populations. She brings four years of diverse experience in qualitative and quantitative research, working with law enforcement, community-based organizations, and community members. Eva holds a Master of Criminal Justice degree from Temple University.
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Gregory Savage, Associate
Greg works within the Research & Evaluation portfolio, focusing on the evaluation of the District of Columbia Department of Behavioral Health’s State Opioid Response (SOR) program. He previously provided technical support on the USDOJ, OJP PMP, working with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Strategic Planning and Performance Division. Greg has over a decade of experience working with law enforcement, non-profit organizations, and governments in program evaluation, data analysis, and project management. Prior to joining Carnevale Associates, he served as a Criminal Justice Specialist at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency and worked for the Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual Disability Services. Greg holds a Master of Arts degree in Forensic Psychology from Marymount University.
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Olivia Stuart, Associate
Olivia supports the training & technical assistance (T/TA) team in the development and delivery of knowledge translation products across multiple projects. In this capacity, she assists with webinars, literature reviews, and infographics on a range of behavioral health topics. Prior to joining Carnevale Associates, Olivia interned with the Urban Institute’s Justice Policy Center where she supported projects to reduce inequities in the criminal justice system. Olivia also served as a Graduate Research Supervisor at George Mason University and worked for several years in LGBTQ+ advocacy and fundraising. She holds a Master of Social Work degree from George Mason University and is a Licensed Master's Social Worker (LMSW) in Virginia.
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Leah Cohen, Research Assistant
Leah provides data cleaning, analysis, and reporting support across numerous projects in the Carnevale Associates Research & Evaluation portfolio. Since joining the firm, she has supported evaluation projects for NADCP and DC DBH. Prior to joining Carnevale Associates, Leah worked as a Data Evaluation Specialist for Vinfen, a Massachusetts health and human services nonprofit. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Northeastern University.