Virginia Carlson, Principal Researcher for Data Integration, has more than 25 years of experience in data development, acquisition, and analysis. She has used these skills to deliver technical assistance for community organizations and for researching urban practices. She has worked as Research Director at World Business Chicago, the Chicago Urban League, the Brookings Institution, and as president of the Metro Chicago Information Center. She is a Board member of the Association of Public Data Users and on the editorial board of Economic Development Quarterly. She has a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northwestern University and a Master’s in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois-Chicago.