With 120+ Evaluators and growing in the Network, we are highlighting an ACE Evaluation Network Member each month to share their experiences and current projects with the ETB® community.

Advancing Culturally-responsive and Equitable (ACE) Evaluation Network Member Jessica Presley, MPP serves as Senior Director of Evaluation at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she leads evaluation efforts for federally funded initiatives advancing health equity. She is also co-founder of Insight to Impact Consulting in Northwest Arkansas. With a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a commitment to participatory, community-driven approaches, she brings deep expertise in culturally grounded evaluation. A member of the Diné and Osage Tribes, Jessica’s work is rooted in honoring community knowledge and promoting equity.

The following excerpts are from an interview during the 2024 ETB Gathering at the AEA Annual Conference:

How has being a part of ETB impacted you?

Expanding the Bench® has been an amazing experience. I originally joined because I’m an evaluator in Arkansas, and it’s a very unique climate for doing culturally responsive evaluation. I was really in need of a community, and being part of the ACE Evaluation Network has been incredible. It’s provided a strong sense of community—evaluator colleagues who are all committed to advancing culturally responsive and equitable evaluation (CREE). It made me feel like I wasn’t alone. It helped normalize my experience, and that has meant so much to me.

How do you hope to implement CREE in the future?

I’m actually working on my doctorate in evaluation, which is something ETB has really encouraged me to pursue. I’ve worked with some amazing individuals through this network, and it inspired me to contribute more formally to the field. I hope to complete my doctorate in the next couple of years, focusing on Indigenous evaluation. I’m currently working on a few Indigenous evaluation projects, but I really hope to expand into working with different communities as well.

Would you like to talk more about Indigenous communities and your connection there?

Yes, definitely. That’s something I’ve been trying to explore more deeply. Indigenous evaluation is incredibly important to me. I actually grew up outside of my culture—in Arkansas—and so a big part of my journey has been trying to reconnect with the cultural roots I feel I’ve lost. Indigenous evaluation has helped me feel spiritually reconnected and healed. It also ensures that Indigenous communities are truly listened to, heard, and are full participants in the evaluation process. It’s about making evaluation something they own—something grounded in their knowledge and insight. That kind of work is so important, and I hope my studies and connections through ETB can help expand that effort and build capacity in Indigenous evaluation.

How do you see yourself engaging with ETB in the future?

I’m currently part of the ETB Advisory Team, which has been a great experience. We’ve had meaningful conversations about ETB’s direction, and I think some exciting things are coming. One area I’m especially enthusiastic about is the development of ETB: Regional. Working in Arkansas—and in conservative states in general—can be challenging when it comes to practicing CREE. That’s why I’m really excited about connecting with other evaluators through regional networks. I think we can generate important conversations about how to grow this work in the South and bring new evaluators into the field.

Where do you see ETB in the next 10 years?

The past ten years have been amazing—ETB has brought together such talented evaluators. Over the next ten years, I see ETB working collectively to advance culturally responsive and equitable evaluation even further. I hope it becomes not just an approach, but THE approach—a standard in evaluation practice. I envision a future where it’s just assumed that evaluators listen to communities, let communities lead, and center lived experience and community knowledge in the evaluation process.

That’s really powerful—especially the connection between your cultural heritage and your work. Do you want to say anything about pursuing a PhD in evaluation—maybe something encouraging or about why it’s important?

Absolutely. I really enjoy talking about this connection. It’s so important for people of color to be involved in research and evaluation to ensure we’re advancing best practices and deepening the understanding of culturally responsive evaluation. There are not many Indigenous evaluators—especially those with doctorates—and I think it’s crucial for us to be out there, publishing, collaborating, and making a difference. It’s about showing that we belong in this space and that our knowledge matters.

To learn more about Jessica, view her Evaluator Database profile.