Deputy Director, Strategic Planning and Programming
Ta-Tanisha Wallace currently serves as the Deputy Director of Strategic Planning and Programming at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). In this role, she oversees agency performance management, research and data analysis, audit and compliance, and community programs.
Prior to joining ONSE, Ta-Tanisha was the Director of Research, Data Analysis and Publications at the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform (NICJR). There, she led a team of policy analysts providing technical assistance, consulting, research, organizational development and advocacy in the fields of juvenile and criminal justice, youth development, and violence prevention.
Before entering the violence intervention space, Ta-Tanisha was the Chief Strategy Officer of the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) and oversaw the Labor Market Information Department, Office of Talent and Client Services, Office of Training and Professional Development and the Office of Youth Programs. Here, she also served as a Results for America State and Local Workforce Fellow and identified data-driven, evidence-based strategies to address systemic challenges in government. Ta-Tanisha served as the Deputy Director for Strategic Change and Quality Assurance at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) where she played an integral part in reform efforts during its transition to a cabinet-level agency and the exit strategy of a 30-year-old consent decree. She also developed the system of performance management and continuous quality improvement for a staff of over 1500 at the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), Division of Student Transportation in her role as the Associate Director for Audit and Compliance.
Ta-Tanisha has nearly 20 years of strategic planning and performance management leadership in both the public and private sector. After spending the first part of her career providing direct care service to court-involved youth, she developed a passion for program monitoring and assessment. Ta-Tanisha is particularly skilled in developing systems of performance improvement and quality assurance. With her motivational management and transformational leadership approach, she inspires organizations to define strategic priorities to support agency missions and exceed expectations.