About Us

John is an urban planner and the executive director of DataWorks. His work with neighborhoods and community organizations includes mapping and other data visualization related to demographics, housing, health, economic development and the intersection of these in communities.

L’Tanya is the Data Action Coordinator at DataWorks. Her work aims to facilitate conversations that establish and deepen relationships with community groups and organizations, and to suggest ways data can support the goals unique to each community. L’Tanya is the Data Action Coordinator. Her work aims to facilitate conversations that establish and deepen relationships with community groups and organizations, and to suggest ways data can support the goals unique to each community. She has an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and is particularly interested in combining data and the written narrative to share meaningful stories of our neighbors and communities.

Mad Bankson is a queer geographer and organizer from coastal North Carolina. They currently attend UNC’s masters program in City and Regional Planning, where their studies focus on environmental planning and climate equity. Located in Durham, Mad is proud to work on collective efforts related to housing and labor rights, racial justice, and community-based disaster relief. Mad Bankson is a queer geographer and organizer from coastal North Carolina. They currently attend UNC’s masters program in City and Regional Planning, where their studies focus on environmental planning and climate equity. Located in Durham, Mad is proud to work on collective efforts related to housing and labor rights, racial justice, and community-based disaster relief.

Libby is DataWorks’ health data analyst. Her work is focused on the ways in which historical and structural inequalities produce health disparities. Her work is focused on the ways in which historical and structural inequalities produce health disparities. Libby is DataWorks’ health data analyst. Her work is focused on the ways in which historical and structural inequalities produce health disparities. She seeks involvement in social and environmental justice-focused research that both critically complicates traditional study of health and illness while also supporting social change.

Research Action Design is a worker-owned collective which uses community-led research, collaborative design of technology and media, and secure digital strategies to build the power of grassroots social movements. RAD partners with DataWorks to support research, design, and development for the Neighborhood Compass and the Neighborhood Health Indicators projects, as well as to support community-based research and engagement around equitable development.

I am an activist, animator, graphic designer, illustrator, comic artist and graphic facilitator based in the South. I came into my work as an artist and designer through community organizing, where I discovered joy and fulfillment in creating visual content that compelled people into action and ignited powerful emotions. My artistic work is colored by my identity as a Black, immigrant, Muslim, gay trans guy and comic book nerd. I bring my boldness, quirks, and convictions to every project I work on, producing visuals that pack a punch!

Fred is a Chapel Hill-Durham resident since 1993. He is an Assistant Professor and currently serves as the Vice Chief of Duke’s Division of Community Health in the Department of Community and Family Medicine. Fred grew up in the Mid-Atlantic United States in the state of Maryland, in a large urban city, Baltimore. He completed his undergraduate studies at Loyola College in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from Wake Forest University Babcock School of Business with a Master degree in Business Administration. 

He is a former community organizer with several unique accomplishments including the Community Reinvestment Act and while working for The AFL-CIO put 10,000 seniors on the Mall in Washington DC in opposition to President Ronald Reagan’s proposed cuts in Social Security.

As the child of a first generation college student, Alexandra believes education has the power to be a revolutionary agent for people and communities and a means to create a just and equitable world. To act on those beliefs, Alexandra has worked in partnerships with students, parents and the Durham community here at Student U for the past 7 years. Alexandra’s vision for the world is one where organizations like Student U no longer exist and every person is able to reach his or her full potential because our systems and institutions are just and equitable. Until that vision is reached, she is thankful to do work that is meaningful, urgent and necessary alongside an incredible personal and professional community.

Why DataWorks? I am energized and inspired by DataWorks’ vision of empowering citizens and communities with the data they need to tell true and honest stories about their own communities. My highest aspiration is that DataWorks becomes a mechanism that all Durham citizens can use to hold our city accountable for doing right by all members of our community.

Vannessa Mason Evans is a native of Durham, North Carolina. She grew up in Braggtown, and is now the chairperson of the Braggtown Community Association. Vannessa is fighting for fair and affordable housing for those that are in need and stopping the displacement of black and brown people.

Tara serves at the Durham County Department of Public Health as the Deputy Public Health Director and is passionate about the power of data democratization.  Tara has a Master of Business Administration from James Madison University, a Master of Public Health from Wright State University, a Master of International Affairs from Ohio University and Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, International Studies and Latin American Studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Anise Vance serves as the Open Data Program Manager for the City and County of Durham. Previously, he was the Senior Manager of Research in Race and Equity at the Boston Foundation. He holds an M.Phil. in Geography from Queen’s University Belfast, an MFA in Creative Writing from Rutgers University, and a B.A. from Dartmouth College.