Meet Our Team
Ryan Penkala, Chief Operating Officer
Ryan Penkala is a data scientist and econometric researcher who studied quantitative economics at San Diego State University. During his time at SDCTA, Ryan has led research evaluating efficacy of government expenditures in areas like education, homelessness, housing, public labor, and infrastructure. His personal research interest is in baseball analytics and sabermetrics.
As COO, Ryan oversees policy analysis and research, using big data solutions to help local government optimize the output of the public dollar.
Sarah Schroeder, Policy & Research Manager
Sarah Schroeder is a Master of Public Policy student at UCSD's school of Global Policy and Strategy and has a B.S. in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara. Over the past few years Sarah has worked in non-profit project management and community organizing, and is passionate about education policy. In her free time she enjoys cooking, hiking, and travelling.
Isabella Almazan, Policy Analyst Intern
Isabella Almazan is a graduate from UC San Diego with a B.A. in Economics. She has worked previously as a tutor and looks forward to making a deeper impact on the community with the SDCTA. In her free time, Isabella enjoys reading as well as playing the guitar.
Izzy Hall, Public Affairs Intern
Izzy Hall is a third year Political Science major and History minor at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. She has experience working with prospective students and families through her time as an admissions assistant and is looking forward to collaborating with local officials and voters to enhance San Diego’s policy making. In her free time she enjoys playing collegiate lacrosse, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
Brandon Miner, Data Science Intern
Brandon Miner is attending SDSU pursuing a degree in Statistics with Emphasis in Data Science and a Minor in Mathematics. He wants to explore different data fields of interest, with a particular interest in climate change. Outside of the workplace, he likes to spend his free time going out with friends, as well as going to the gym.
