Leadership Montgomery 2025 Emerging Leaders Include Westat

Westat staff members are participating in Leadership Montgomery’s 2025 Emerging Leaders program. Leadership Montgomery is a community leadership organization based in Montgomery County, Maryland, that promotes collaboration across different sectors to address complex county issues. Starting in September 2024, participants will attend sessions to enhance their leadership skills and contribute to the development of thriving and inclusive communities in Montgomery County and beyond.

New Emerging Leaders

The Emerging Leaders Program is designed for aspiring leaders who are dedicated to their communities and eager to enhance their leadership skills.

Melanie Chansky, MAA, is a Principal Research Associate with over 20 years of experience in qualitative research design and methodologies. She has led and contributed to a variety of qualitative research efforts for federal agencies, including the NIH, CDC, FDA, and SAMHSA. She currently serves as project director for a contract that provides scientific, communications, and technology support services to a federal agency, and also leads a study on risk communication around medical devices. In addition, she conducts the process evaluation for a research network designed to work with communities and community-based organizations to identify promising engagement and outreach.

Naomi Yount, PhD, is a Principal Research Associate and industrial/organizational psychologist with more than 15 years of experience in organizational research. Her expertise ranges from qualitative interviewing to quantitative analysis of survey and other organizational data. Yount serves as project director for a government-wide survey to assess employee perceptions regarding critical areas of work life that drive job satisfaction, engagement, commitment, and, ultimately, retention. In this capacity, she has overseen the annual production of over 25,000 reports.