Tara Acker, Director of SomerStat, has over ten years of performance management experience. Previous to her role with SomerStat, Ms. Acker worked for eight years as the manager of the Environmental Results Program (ERP) for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). ERP instituted performance based standards and annual compliance certification for various industrials sectors in Massachusetts. Tara has also been a consultant for the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association (NEWMOA), where she advised a multi-state initiative to develop common measures for evaluating the effectiveness of state environmental programs.

Tara received her bachelor's degree from Boston University and a master's degree in Inter-Disciplinary Studies from Leslie University. She was also selected as the Presidential Scholar for Public Service by the John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she received her master's degree in Public Administration.Contact: tackersomervillema [dot] gov, 617-625-6600 ext. 2109.

Daniel Hadley, Senior Analyst, began work with the ResiStat program immediately following his graduation from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design, where he studied urban planning. While a student, Daniel was a teaching fellow in the course “Designing the American City,” and received a Community Service Fellowship for an internship at Envision Utah, a public-process oriented planning organization.  He also has degrees from the Harvard Divinity School and the University of Utah. Contact: dhadleysomervillema [dot] gov. 617-625-6600 ext. 2116.

John Harding, Junior Analyst, is a native of Methuen, Massachusetts and received his BA in Political Science from Providence College in May 2006.  He recently earned a Master of Science in Public Affairs (MSPA) at UMass Boston, where he focused on economic development, transportation/land use policy, and quantitative analysis.   

Prior to joining the SomerStat office, John worked as a Government Affairs Intern with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), and a Research Associate with the Ciccolo Group (a planning and municipal government consultancy).  He also previously held positions in the Commonwealth’s House of Representatives and the Edward J. Collins Center for Public Management. 

Skye Stewart, Junior Analyst, began working for the City of Somerville in November 2011. An Alabama native and proud East Somerville resident, Skye earned a BA in Political Science and Sociology at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham, Alabama. She completed a Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the University of Michigan in 2010 where she focused on Local and State Government Policy Analysis. Prior to joining the SomerStat office, Skye worked at the Washtenaw County Administrator’s Office in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Contact sstewartsomervillema [dot] gov, 617-625-6600 ext. 2115.