California Election 2022 Data Challenge
Symposium Keynote Speakers
MacKenzie Smith
UC Davis Librarian and Vice Provost of Digital Scholarship
MacKenzie Smith creates and leads the strategic vision for the UC Davis libraries and oversees operations for the university’s four main libraries (Shields, Physical Sciences & Engineering, Carlson Health Sciences, and Blaisdell Medical). She leads the library’s efforts to integrate digital resources an information technology to serve the university’s academic community. She has published on information technology and digital knowledge management, and works toward creating and sustaining efforts that enhance efficient and effective access to knowledge. Smith leads the DataLab advisory group.
Jesse Salinas
Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters for Yolo County
Jesse Salinas has extensive experience working in government and nonprofit leadership. He has served Yolo County as the Assessor/Clerk-Recorder/Registrar of Voters since 2016, and also serves on the Election, Recorder and Assessor Association’s Legislative Committees. Previously he served a decade as principal management analyst in Yolo County’s Administrator’s Office and Department of Financial Services. He worked for the CA School Boards Association as its first research analyst, helping to shape the state’s education policy discussion. In the nonprofit sector, he served as an Executive Director of Communities in Schools of CA. Jesse holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Cruz with a major in Psychology and minor in Computer Science, and a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.
Jeremia Kimelman
Data Journalist, CalMatters
Jeremia Kimelman is a data journalist who uses code and data to make policy and politicians easier to understand. He was previously a graphics editor at the COVID Tracking Project and a data journalist at NBC News covering elections and national politics. He is a UC Davis alum who is excited to be back home in California after an extended time as a New Yorker. If he isn’t on the computer you can find him out in the garden or on a bicycle.
Erica Yee
Data Reporter, CalMatters
Erica Yee is the data reporter at CalMatters helping develop data-driven graphics. As a California native, she is excited to contribute to important coverage of state issues through engaging projects. She is a recent graduate of Northeastern University, where she majored in journalism and information science. Erica previously interned at the San Francisco Chronicle, CNBC, and Boston.com.