Carrie S. Cihak, Principal
Cihak is an independent consultant specializing in evidence-informed practice, equity-centered policy, and cross-sector partnerships for public sector organizations.
Most recently, Cihak served as Evidence & Impact Officer for King County, the regional government of the 12th largest county in the United States. In this role, Cihak guided County agencies on community outcomes and impact, with a strong focus on advancing racial equity. Cihak’s work at King County spanned over two decades and included leading learning and evidence practice at King County Metro Transit; serving as an inaugural member of the community mitigation team in the County’s pandemic response; and eight years as Chief of Policy for King County Executive Dow Constantine, where she identified the highest priority policy areas and community outcomes for leadership focus and developed innovative solutions to complex, controversial, and cross-sector issues. Cihak sponsored the County’s nationally-recognized work on equity and social justice and architected initiatives such as Best Starts for Kids. Earlier County roles included serving as a senior-level policy and budget analyst for the King County Council and lead staff for the King County Board of Health.
Cihak is trained as a Ph.D.-level (ABD) economist specializing in Japan and served as staff economist on international trade and finance for President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers. Cihak is a Local Government Fellow and serves on the Advisory Committee for the Federal Standards of Excellence at Results for America. Cihak was the first government Policy Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University (CASBS) in 2017-18 and was a Research Affiliate at CASBS 2018-2023. Cihak was named J-PAL North America’s inaugural Evidence Champion in 2023. With J-PAL North America and the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities at Notre Dame, she leads the “Evidence Matters” webinar series.