Meet Our Utah ASPA Council

Hannah Gorski began her career in public service advocating for public employees while working for a nonprofit labor organization. This opportunity led her to pursue a degree in public administration, graduating with her MPA in 2022. Through her past work and education, Hannah became passionate about effective government communications and analyzing policies across various topics. She brings both interests together in her current role as Communications Director for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office. In her free time, Hannah enjoys exploring Utah’s mountains and reading.

Krissie Jones (she/her) is a Local Administrative Associate with Five County Association of Government. With a focus on policy analytics, local government, higher education, and artificial intelligence, she is passionate about leveraging data-driven insights to drive positive change. Her journey in public administration and academia has been marked by a commitment to helping non-profits thrive, crafting innovative programs, and evaluating their impact. Beyond the numbers, her favorite part of research comes from devising strategies that foster tangible, lasting improvements for individuals and organizations alike. As a big supporter of collaboration, Krissie is passionate about working together to create a more inclusive and productive world. In her free time, she enjoys activities like running, hiking with her family, and diving into a good book. Since her return to Utah in 2022, she and her family have settled down in Eagle Mountain and they love it here!

Alexandra Allen is the Assistant Director of Homelessness and Criminal Justice Reform for Salt Lake County. Previously Alex worked as the Assistant Director and Victim Advocate at Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic (UCVLC) where she had dedicated her career to protecting victims of crime for twelve years. Alex has been active in legislative groups. She has served on many policy groups, and has worked to pass legislation to enhance victim services. Alex co hosts a podcast called Utah Survivors featuring episodes dedicated to victims’ stories and resources in the community, which currently has 59 episodes. Alex has a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Weber State University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Utah. In her free time, Alex enjoys scuba diving, and motherhood. Alex is a certified cave diver, but mostly enjoys warm ocean diving. Alex is a mother to one son who is currently 9, and loves break dancing.

Ana Ascencio is a public safety and public administration professional in higher education. She serves as the Administrative Manager for the Threat Assessment & Management Partnership (TAMP) at the University of Utah Department of Public Safety. Ana earned her Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Utah. She is passionate about advancing ASPA's values and supporting people-centered approaches to public service.

Jennifer Wadsworth is the policy advisor for the Utah State Board of Education, working at the intersection of education policy and the legislative process. She has an MPA and serves as the executive director of the Friends of the Alpine City Library. Jennifer has spent her career building partnerships between state agencies, local governments, and community nonprofits to better serve Utah's communities

Sebastian Green is a Policy & Project Coordinator with the Salt Lake County Office of Homelessness & Criminal Justice Reform (OHCJR). He is a systems-level thinker with six (6) years of experience in policy design, program implementation, strategic communication, and data analysis. Sebastian's achievements include the redesign of The City of San José (CA) Wage Theft Prevention Ordinance, authorship of the OHJCR annual legislative report, and covening of criminal legal experts for the Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Advisory Council (CJAC). With expertise in data science, policy analysis, stakeholder coordination, project management, and graphic design, and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Utah (Dec. 2025), Sebastian strives to make local government work smarter for the communities it serves.

After spending 12 years working as a professional photographer, Samy Estrada (she/her) moved to Utah and began working in development at the Utah Museum of Contemporary Art. Currently, she is a senior analyst in the advancement office of the University of Utah. There she supports organizations like University Neighborhood Partners, Huntsman Cancer Foundation, and the College of Social Work in their fundraising efforts. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of New York, Indiana University, and is now pursuing her MPA at University of Utah. In classic Utah fashion, she loves spending her free time outside, either climbing the Wasatch Mountains or reading a good book at Liberty Park.

Dan Limb serves as a Health Program Specialist for the Utah Department of Health and Human Services within the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. As a Local Health Department Liaison and the program's Policy, Systems, and Environment (PSE) Coordinator, he works to support local health departments (LHDs) and community partners in their contract activities while leading initiatives designed to protect Utahns from secondhand smoke exposure. He is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) who holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Health from Brigham Young University and is currently a Master of Public Administration candidate at Southern Utah University, expecting to graduate in December 2026. A passionate advocate for technological innovation in government, Dan has developed custom AI agents to improve operational workflows and regularly leads artificial intelligence trainings for his office. His previous public health experience includes work with the Utah County Health Department. Outside of his professional roles, Dan resides in Provo and is a lifelong learner who enjoys listening to audiobooks on any topic, traveling, spending time outdoors, and being with his wife and 2-year-old son.

My name is Sean McKelvie. I have worked in public education for the last decade. I love working with students and helping them align their passions with career goals. I currently work at the University of Utah as a Career Coach helping students in the College of Social and Behavioral Science find internships and career opportunities that align with strengths, and long-term goals. I graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder, with an honors degree in history and now I am pursuing a Master of Public Administration degree here at the U. Additionally, I am the Vice Chair for the Salt Lake City Public Utilities Advisory Committee, and I am an elected official for the Mount Olympus Improvement District. When I am not working, or going to class I am usually running around somewhere in the valley, or on trails. To date, I have run over 20 marathons, including Boston, New York, and Chicago, with several more to come!

Sterling Steed is a Master of Public Administration graduate from Southern Utah University.  He currently serves as a Recovery Court Case Manager with Salt Lake County Criminal Justice Services, where he works closely with justice-involved individuals. In this role, he helps clients develop and achieve meaningful goals, navigate complex systems, and access community resources. He is passionate about working with people. His academic and professional interests center on public policy and program effectiveness, particularly in the areas of criminal justice, substance use, harm reduction, homelessness, immigration, and state and local government. He enjoys exploring how government programs can better serve individuals and communities. Outside of work, he enjoys watching sports, hunting, fishing, reading, working in his yard, and spending time with family and friends.

Samuel is a nonprofit administrator passionate about promoting social justice and expanding opportunities for historically marginalized communities, especially in connection with his experience as a queer person of faith. Originally from northern Florida, he has called Utah home since 2018. Samuel received a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from Florida State University (2018) and a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Utah (2023). From 2020 to 2025, he led Flourish Therapy's administrative team, helping the organization grow into a statewide provider of LGBTQ-affirming therapy and mental health services. In 2025, Samuel joined Utah Donor Collaborative as their Development & Operations Manager, supporting their mission of building a politically representative Utah. Samuel also serves as a committee chair for his local neighborhood council and regularly volunteers with Encircle, a resource center for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. In his free time, Samuel enjoys hiking, playing board games, learning new things, and spending time with his husband.

Chief Deputy of the Corrections Bureau, Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office Matt Dumont is a twenty-three year member of the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office and currently serves as Chief Deputy for the Corrections Bureau. He is happy to return as the ASPA Utah Chapter President, a position he also held in 2009-2010. He earned his Masters of Public Administration from the University of Utah in 2003. Matt has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He enjoys spending time with family, traveling and spending time outdoors.

For more than 30 years, Professor Emeritus Steven Ott has served as a professor, MPA program director, director of the Institute for Public and International Affairs, and dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Science at the University of Utah. He has taught courses across many topics in public administration and nonprofit organizations. Following his retirement in 2018, Dr. Ott was designated as a professor and dean emeritus at the University of Utah. Professor Ott’s publications have focused on organization theory, organization behavior, the nonprofit sector, nonprofit organization management, organizational culture, public administration and public management. In 2019, Ott received the University of Utah’s Distinguished Faculty Service Award. He had previously received the F. Ted Hebert Distinguished Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Administration by the Utah Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. Professor Ott played a critical role in establishing and teaching in MPA programs for officials from Hainan Province, China and Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. Prior to his recruitment at the University of Utah, Dr. Ott was an assistant professor in the department of public administration and the director of graduate programs in public administration at the University of Maine. Dr. Ott has served as the vice chair and chair of the Utah Nonprofits Association.