Essays & Perspectives

Not everything I write fits neatly into a policy analysis. These essays and perspectives draw from personal experience, professional experience, current events, and questions about civic life, public discourse, institutions, accountability, and how we treat one another when we disagree.

PRACTITIONER PERSPECTIVE | OCTOBER 5, 2026

Operation NO DOZE can identify suspicious loans. The harder question is what happens next. Data can flag anomalies. Investigators can develop evidence. But somebody still has to reconstruct what the borrower was eligible for under the rules that applied at the time, determine the correct affiliates and corporate group, apply the applicable size methodology, evaluate forgiveness eligibility, and determine what the administrative record actually supports.

PERSONAL ESSAY | AUGUST 30, 2026

Small acts of generosity rarely make headlines. A reflection on what it means to notice when someone needs help, to stop, and to show up when nobody is watching.

PERSONAL ESSAY | AUGUST 3, 2026

On turning 57, a reflection on childhood, grief, my mother, the things people carry quietly, and learning that where we start does not have to decide where we end.

PERSONAL ESSAY | SEPTEMBER 16, 2025

Murder is never a victory. Grief is not a weapon. If we want anything to change, we have to stop treating another person’s loss as something to score, compare, or justify.