Monica Mesa-Alvarez is a Research Associate for the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities. Monica coordinates technical support and the organizational evaluation components of National Leadership Consortium programs. Monica’s research projects have focused on the development and validation of tools that help disability sector organizations assess the alignment between values and practices related to best practices in the field. Their work with the National Leadership Consortium has also centered around providing actionable technical support to agencies to enhance the use of evidence-based practices and strategic decisions. Mesa Alvarez holds Master of Public Administration, and they are currently working to earn their Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy in 2024 as well as a certificate in program evaluation.