PAR names Alison Neustrom as new research director
Policy analyst and former government administrator Alison Neustrom, Ph.D., has been named Research Director of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. She will begin work at PAR on Dec. 1.
Neustrom joins PAR after serving as the Vice-President for Public Policy at the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations where she was responsible for monitoring legislation and informing public policy for the benefit of Louisianas nonprofit sector.
Prior to LANO she served as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Family Support at the Louisiana Department of Social Services, which administers the SNAP (food stamp) and TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) programs, Child Support Enforcement, Child Care, Child Care Licensing and Disability Determinations.
Dr. Neustrom served four years as Director of Policy and Planning at DSS, during which she led state and federal public policy development while administering hurricane recovery projects.
Dr. Neustrom also worked as a Research Associate at the Administrative Offices of the Courts at the California Judicial Council in the Center for Families, Children and the Courts.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and a master’s in Social Work and Ph.D. in Sociology from Louisiana State University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Berkley School of Social Welfare.
“Alison’s in-depth policy and analytical experience make her an ideal choice to lead PAR’s future research addressing the public policy challenges facing Louisiana,” PAR President Jim Brandt said. “She will join incoming PAR President Robert Travis Scott in shaping a strong research agenda for the organization.”
Neustrom replaces Jennifer Pike, who left PAR this month to become deputy director of the Ocean Conservancy’s Gulf Restoration Program in New Orleans. Brandt, who will retire at the end of the year, will be replaced by Scott, the Capital Bureau Chief of The Times-Picayune.
The Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan public policy research organization focused on pointing the way toward a more efficient, effective, transparent and accountable Louisiana government. PAR was founded in 1950 and is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization supported by foundation and corporate grants and individual donations. PAR has never accepted state government funds.