Staff
Ed Sivak – Director
Ed Sivak is the director of the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. As director, Sivak coordinates MEPC's policy efforts to advance public policy issues that improve the quality of life for low-income and low-wealth Mississippians. Prior to joining ECD, Sivak worked as a graduate fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership (formerly the Center for the Study of Voluntary Organizations and Service) and as an intern at the Aspen Institute. He also coordinated programs at L'Arche Irenicon, a nonprofit organization that provides homes to adults with developmental disabilities. Sivak holds a Master of Public Policy from the Georgetown Public Policy Institute and a Bachelor of Arts in History and English from Marquette University. He is a former member of the Federal Reserve Board's Consumer Advisory Council.
Antwyn Brown - Policy Analyst
Antwyn Brown is a policy analyst with the Mississippi Economic Policy Center (MEPC). At MEPC, Mr. Brown’s focus is directed towards analyzing and communicating the implications of state budget decisions on working families. He is also examining the effects of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) on Mississippians. Mr. Brown worked for several years as an Evaluator with the Mississippi Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review, where he worked extensively on state health policy issues such as quality of inmate care within state correctional facilities and access to medical care at state colleges and universities. Mr. Brown has a master of public policy from Mississippi State University and a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism from Tougaloo College. Mr. Brown is an adjunct professor and a certified paralegal. Mr. Brown volunteers his time with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Jackson, Central Mississippi Down Syndrome Society, Jackson Public School System and Habitat for Humanity.
Rebecca Dixon – Senior Policy Analyst
Rebecca Dixon is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. Her areas of focus include promoting policy supports for low-income working families and self-sufficiency. Prior to joining MEPC, Rebecca worked as a Medical Communications Coordinator for a biopharmaceutical company while finishing up her joint degree program at Duke University School of Law. Her duties included contracting and policy/procedure compliance for company-sponsored continuing medical education activities. Her program of study included coursework in community economic development law, non-profit law, and low-income health care policy. She holds a B.A. in English from Duke University and a joint degree, J.D. /M.A English, from Duke University School of Law.
Davetta Lee - Policy Analyst
Davetta Lee is a Policy Analyst with the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. As a program analyst, Lee focuses her work on analyzing the impact of community development programs. Lee also focuses on responsible lending policies. Prior to joining MEPC, Davetta served as a legal intern at the Mississippi Secretary of State Elections Division. She holds a B.S. in Biology from Xavier University of Louisiana and a J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law. Her program of study included Real Estate Law, Health Care Law, Race & the Law, and Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Sara Miller – Senior Policy Analyst
Sara Miller is Senior Policy Analyst for the Mississippi Economic Policy Center. As a senior policy analyst, Miller primarily focuses her work on Mississippi tax and budget issues. Before working at the Mississippi Economic Policy Center, she served for three years as an Evaluator for the Mississippi Legislature’s Joint Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER). She went to Louisiana State University for her undergraduate degree and was awarded a Master of Public Administration degree from George Washington University. Before and during graduate school, she worked at a nonprofit HIV/AIDS organization in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and at the Health Resources and Services Administration of the US Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. She lives in her hometown of Hattiesburg with her husband, David, and beagle, Houston.