Guinn Center Hires Two Senior Staff Members, Two Policy Research Interns | University of Nevada, Reno

The Guinn Center, a nonpartisan research and policy center promoting evidence-based policymaking in Nevada, continues to see growth after appointing Jill Tolles as executive director in January of 2023. Michael Stewart joined the team as research director shortly after Tolles in January, and most recently, Kristine Brown Caliger joined the team as deputy director of Outreach and Operations in April.

“We hope all NSHE faculty will consider this their invitation to reach out and tell us what they are working on that could have policy implications for the state of Nevada for the better.”

“When I felt there would be an opportunity to support and work meaningfully for an organization whose sole job is to do independent, impartial, and unbiased research for the betterment of Nevada law and the lives of Nevada citizens, I had to seize the opportunity,” Caliger said.

Caliger comes to the Guinn Center with a background in communications and organizational leadership, having worked for News-4 Fox 11 and later serving as Vice President of Partnerships and Programs at the Reno+Sparks Chamber of Commerce. Caliger received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University.

Stewart joined the Guinn Center after retiring from his position as director of the Nevada Legal Department’s Research Division. Stewart offered his experience to the center as a part-time contractor in 2022. Once Tolles was named executive director, Stewart joined full-time. Stewart holds a Master of Science in Geography, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, and a Bachelor of Science in Geography, all from university.

Michael Stewart leafs through a binder of the Revised Nevada Statutes (NRS) in front of the Guinn Center’s NRS Library. The library was donated to the center by Senator Heidi Seevers Gansert.

“Jill pulled me out of retirement to be the director of research, and I couldn’t be more excited to be here,” Stewart said. “I love Jill’s vision for the future of downtown. I am honored to be a part of rebuilding this important organization.”

The Guinn Center aims to connect policy makers and other decision makers in Nevada with evidence-based and unbiased research and analysis to inform sound policy. The Guinn Center has published more than 100 policy reports and abstracts on topics related to taxation, fiscal management, education, health care, social concerns, economic development, workforce development, governance, climate and energy. With fellow team members and recently hired policy research interns Hannah Jackson and Kaiden Mejia-Amaya, the Guinn Center is pursuing several new avenues of research, one of which includes the review of early childhood services in Nevada.

“There is federal and state money pouring into the early childhood services system, through health care, education, even through our Department of Agriculture food service programs,” Stewart said. “They all want the best for the Nevada kids. The problem is that there are so many players and the structure is so big that sometimes it’s difficult to understand who is doing what.”

The Guinn Center is working with associate professor of human development and family science Jennifer McClendon and graduate student Jeana Miller to perform a comprehensive study of all early childhood services and develop policy recommendations to streamline the system in Nevada.

“Jill and I have started fundraising to make some significant hires in the future. Most immediately to a director of health and social policy and a director of education, but eventually also to complement the research division with a director of natural resources and environmental policy and a director of governance and civic policy.

Other projects include creating a robust community-informed resource for Nevadans on ranked-choice voting (a voting measure approved by Nevada voters in 2022 and will appear on the ballot again in 2024), a review of policy affecting housing options for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, and an analysis of the Nevada workforce before and after the pandemic.

Many of these projects use new, evidence-based, peer-reviewed research by faculty at the University and Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) institutions. Earlier this month, the Guinn Center released research with the Desert Research Institute and Nevada State College on the impacts of summer heatwaves on workforce health in Las Vegas and other at-risk urban cities. The research informs the Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the need for regulatory policy that addresses heat illness and other public policies to alleviate the health and economic impacts of extreme heatwaves.

“We are not only producing original research, but we are also elevating the research of our NSHE partners to bring it into the policy space,” said Caliger. “We translate it into something that a new legislator or a city council member or a county commissioner or a busy Nevadan understands, making it accessible and usable and effective. We hope all NSHE faculty will consider this invitation to contact us and tell us what they are working on that could have policy implications for the state of Nevada for the better.”

The Guinn Center moved to a new building in downtown Reno in May of 2023 and plans to continue to expand its team to meet the state’s needs for support for policy research.

“Jill and I have started fundraising to make some significant hires going forward,” Caliger said. “Most immediately to a director of health and social policy and a director of education, but eventually also to complement the research division with a director of natural resources and environmental policy and a director of governance and civic policy.”

Staying true to the Guinn Center’s mission, funding partners meet the same rigorous standards as their research partners so that all projects remain fair and impartial.

“We don’t do pay-to-play research that could be shelved by a client,” Caliger said. “We want to find a diverse cohort of funders for each project. For example, if we were to do a natural resources project, we would make sure to involve tribal communities, the scientific community, economic development agencies and whoever should be sitting around the table when it comes to specific issues. We are committed to transparency and disclosure of who is funding these projects as well, and we make sure that any conflicts of interest are addressed head-on.”

Left to right: Kristine Brown Caliger, Administrative Assistant Frankie Talbot, Jill Tolles and Michael Stewart in front of the new Guinn Center location in downtown Reno. The group will host an open house on October 26.

The Guinn Center will hold an open house at its downtown location on October 26, where community members can meet with Guinn Center members and tour the space. Tolles hopes to continue building the Guinn Center’s reputation as a reliable and accessible resource for demystifying Nevada politics and decision-making and improving the lives of Nevadans.

“I am in heaven thanks to the amazing team I work with every day and our passionate dedication to the mission of bringing evidence-based policy research to key decision makers in our state,” Tolles said. “We all live in this state and we want to see it continue to improve. Matching needs in Nevada with the brain trust we already have in our higher education system is extremely rewarding work and I am truly grateful for these talented individuals who are helping to guide our efforts.