Laura Huffman is a sought-after public sector leader and strategist who co-founded CivicSol to help communities move from vision to execution. As CEO, she guides the firm’s work with cities, foundations, and civic institutions—drawing on over 25 years of executive experience. Laura has led transformative efforts across infrastructure, economic development, and urban revitalization, and is known for her ability to broker complex negotiations and forge impactful public-private partnerships. She brings clarity, calm, and focus to high-stakes environments—ensuring CivicSol clients move forward with actionable strategies and confidence.

She serves on the Board of Directors for the United Way for Greater Austin and the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO). Laura holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in public affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin.

Steven Pedigo is a nationally recognized urban strategist, professor, and co-founder of CivicSol. At CivicSol, he helps cities and regions turn complexity into clarity—designing strategies rooted in data, place, and long-term prosperity. He has founded two urban policy labs—first at New York University, and now at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin—bridging research and practice to support real-time strategy for public leaders. With over two decades of experience, Steven has advised mayors, regional coalitions, and anchor institutions across the country. He connects research to action—helping public leaders make bold, informed choices. 

He holds a bachelor’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin and graduate degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas Lyceum and the Board of Advisors for Boston Harbor Now.

Annick Beaudet is a member of the College of Fellows of the American Planning Association Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP) with over 25 years of urban planning and management experience in both private and public sectors. As a nationally and internationally recognized urban planner, she excels at the translation of urban planning and real estate theories and processes to the production of pragmatic plans and implementation strategies. Strengths include creation and execution of equitable community engagement, land use and transportation planning, team building, public speaking, leadership, capital improvement planning and program management and intergovernmental collaboration.

 Annick holds a bachelor’s degree in urban geography from The University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in public administration from Pennsylvania State University.

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Clara Belk leads the design and delivery of CivicSol’s core projects—bringing structure, insight, and creativity to every engagement. As Studio Design Manager, she blends best-practice research, data analysis, and implementation strategy to turn ideas into action. Clara is known for her ability to connect the dots between planning and performance—keeping projects clear, grounded, and moving forward. She plays a central role in shaping CivicSol’s approach to project architecture and client collaboration, helping ensure each engagement is tightly scoped, well-structured, and built for follow-through. With experience spanning local government, consulting, and research, Clara brings a multidisciplinary lens to public problem-solving.

Clara holds a master’s degree in public affairs from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree from Tufts University.

Toni Cordes is the Controller for CivicSol, where she oversees financial operations and ensures the firm’s systems are built for long-term stability. With more than 35 years of experience supporting creative and mission-driven businesses, she brings a rare mix of precision, practicality, and understanding of how to support fast-paced, high-impact work.

Toni has spent her career helping agencies, design studios, and consultancies build financial structures that work—without slowing down the work itself. She is known for her steady hand, collaborative approach, and ability to bring clarity and order to complex operations. At CivicSol, she plays a behind-the-scenes but essential role in keeping the business focused, aligned, and growing.

Toni holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Texas State University.

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Cesiah Kessler is a workforce strategy consultant with CivicSol, where she partners with public and private sector clients to align economic development, education, and workforce systems. She brings deep expertise in talent development, workforce partnerships, and organizational effectiveness—built through a career spanning both operational and leadership roles in global workforce solutions firms.

Cesiah is also the founder and CEO of the Kezzler Group, a talent development consultancy focused on helping individuals and organizations unlock untapped potential. Through this work, she delivers people-centered strategies that drive measurable outcomes and long-term success. Known for her clarity of vision and systems-level thinking, she brings a cross-sector perspective and a deep commitment to building inclusive, effective pathways to economic opportunity. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business and management from Alverno College.

Jeffrey Richard is a strategy consultant with CivicSol, where he advises cities, nonprofits, and civic organizations on inclusive growth, stakeholder engagement, and public leadership. A seasoned executive and former elected official, he brings over 30 years of experience at the intersection of government, community development, and public policy.

He previously served as CEO of the Austin Area Urban League and chair of the Austin Community College Board of Trustees. He currently chairs the board of the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO), a regional think tank focused on long-term prosperity in Central Texas.

Jeffrey has supported strategic planning and policy efforts in cities including Austin, Dallas, Detroit, and Atlanta. Known for his thoughtful leadership and deep community roots, he helps clients build capacity with clarity and care.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Christian University and a master of public policy from Harvard University.

Jade Rohloff is an economic analyst at Lightcast, where he supports CivicSol and its clients with labor analytics and insight-driven strategy. His work blends economic research with practical planning to help regions identify industry strengths, align talent systems, and build competitive advantages. Jade has supported a range of efforts—from rural development strategies to regional talent alignment studies. His expertise spans industry targeting, site selection, labor force benchmarking, and national trends analysis.  He’s known for bringing clarity to complex datasets and delivering insights that are both technically sound and operationally useful. Jade works closely with clients to ensure that data isn’t just understood—but used.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and mathematics from St. Norbert College.

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Matthew Walsh is a senior strategy consultant at Lightcast, where he partners with CivicSol to design inclusive workforce strategies. He brings deep expertise in job quality, regional development, and equitable talent pipelines—helping communities translate labor market data into real-world solutions. At Lightcast, Matthew has led research on high-opportunity occupations, structural barriers to employment, and employer behavior that impacts mobility out of low-wage work. He also advises on workforce alignment and credentialing initiatives, ensuring education systems stay relevant to evolving market needs. Matthew plays a hands-on role in strategy development—helping clients connect insights to action and build coalitions for implementation.

Previously, he served as a Fulbright Scholar in Argentina and a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. His research has been published in Desarrollo y Sociedad. Matthew holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Chicago.

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Josh Wright is Head of Growth at Lightcast, where he leads partnerships, strategy, and thought leadership for the public sector team—including collaboration with CivicSol. A former journalist turned workforce strategist, Josh helps communities use labor market data to strengthen their economies and expand opportunity. He previously served as EVP of Lightcast’s economic and workforce development division, where he led the team through the merger of Emsi and Burning Glass Technologies, and the acquisitions of Gazelle.ai and eIMPACT.Josh speaks frequently on the future of work, economic mobility, and the role of data in public strategy. He brings a rare blend of communication, leadership, and analytics to his work—ensuring that insights not only inform, but inspire action.

He holds bachelor’s degrees in journalism and history from the University of Idaho.