What was your first job, and what did it teach you about yourself?

My first high school job was an internship at the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation. I learned that most government positions aren’t political or combative. To maximize their impact, city employees foster friendly, productive, collaborative relationships with a wide variety of partner organizations. I learned that I want to be part of that ecosystem.

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Dr. Anne Clark is passionate about helping local communities develop strong data systems and use them to make evidence-based decisions. As Director of Actionable Research, she oversees the research agenda at Baltimore’s Promise, including data analysis for major projects such as the Youth Data Hub and Baltimore City Youth Opportunities Landscape. In short, she generates actionable insights in service of Baltimore City youth. 

Anne has spent her career researching the development of racial/ethnic and socioeconomic inequality during childhood and young adulthood, with two particular areas of focus: homelessness and housing instability and K-12 education. She is generally interested in how young people’s home, school, and neighborhood environments shape their opportunities and how interventions promote equality of opportunity. 

Before joining Baltimore’s Promise, she worked at the National Center for Education Statistics; the Center for Research on Educational Opportunity at the University of Notre Dame; the Population Studies Center at the University of Michigan; and the Institute for Children, Poverty, and Homelessness. She holds a BA in Economics from the University of Chicago and a PhD in Sociology from the University of Michigan. 

Anne is a nerd inside and outside of work. She enjoys sci-fi and fantasy books, absurdly complicated board games, and rock climbing. She can talk about food for a really long time.