Team Alea Simons Senior Policy Associate Email Alea joined Children’s Funding Project in April 2023. She is a senior policy associate, supporting the building of fiscal maps and providing technical assistance and training to facilitate the effective use of fiscal data. Prior to working at the Children’s Funding Project, Alea was a policy analyst at the Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy, conducting policy research, analysis, and advocacy for Child Care, Child Poverty and Home Visiting. She also was a legislative budget analyst for the Ways and Means Committee at the New York State Assembly. In this role, she participated in negotiations on behalf of the Assembly Majority, conducting budget and policy analysis and research for child care, child welfare services, public employee and labor relations, retirement systems, and collective bargaining agreements. When not working, Alea enjoys writing, listening to music, traveling the world, playing with dogs, and building dollhouses. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Albany, State University of New York and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Quinnipiac University.