Meet the Office of Research and Analytics
The Office of Research and Analytics coordinates a wide range of research and strategic planning activities that ensure our program offices are efficient, well-informed and able to best meet the needs of low- and moderate-income Ohioans.
Chelsea Buckwalter
Chelsea joined OHFA in May 2019 and was named Director of Research and Analytics in January 2022. She utilizes technical expertise and a data-driven approach to further the agency's mission of creating more affordable housing options for Ohioans through projects such as the Qualified Allocation Plan, the statewide Housing Needs Assessment, and the Homeowner Assistance Fund. Chelsea helps internal OHFA offices better understand and visualize their data through the creation of custom Tableau dashboards. She also works with stakeholders to increase awareness of housing-related issues and formulate data-informed solutions. Chelsea has a Bachelor's in Finance from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master's in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh. Her graduate studies focused on human security issues that directly impact communities, such as refugee resettlement, housing, and natural disasters. Chelsea also spent six years in China working in education and studying Mandarin Chinese.
Devin Keithley
Devin joined OHFA in September 2017. His role at the Agency is to support the strategic planning process, including leading and managing the development of the Ohio Housing Needs Assessment, working with program offices to develop performance metrics for the Annual Plan, and creating quarterly tracking processes to report performance on a quarterly and annual basis and improve programmatic efficiency. Devin also leads in the design and analysis of various other research projects and annual reports, and provides research-related support and policy-oriented decision making for program offices. Beyond his day-to-day responsibilities, he is also an experienced graphic designer with a specialization in creative data visualizations, some of which are featured on OHFA's blog, Stories of Home. Devin has a Bachelor's in Geography from Bucknell University, a Master's in Geography from The George Washington University and a Master's in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University.
Ian Grapes
Ian joined OHFA in July 2021 and has been with the Office of Research and Analytics since November of 2022. Prior to this he was an administrator for the Housing Preservation Center. Ian's primary duties consist of ensuring data quality and integrity throughout the agency, and providing data analysis. Ian has a Bachelor's in Political Science from The Ohio State University.
Victoria Murguia
Victoria joined OHFA in December 2022 and received her Bachelor's in City and Regional Planning at the Ohio State University within the same month. Her primary role as a data analyst is to conduct high quality research on OHFA programs and visualize data using software such as Tableau and GIS. She serves as a resource and technical advisor by representing OHFA in internal and external meetings. Prior to working with OHFA, Victoria was an intern at Bread Financial in the Delivery Operations Department and was Head of Accounts Payable for a property management company in California.
DeeWaun Garland
DeeWaun started at OHFA in March 2019. Her main role as a Research Associate is to support the Multifamily side of the agency by ensuring that data in OHFA's internal database is accurate and current. She also assists with data-driven special projects, such as geocoding and VAWA surveys, and converts paper documents into a digital format. DeeWaun has degrees in Business Information Systems and Office Administration, both from Davenport University in Michigan.
Madeleine Drost
Madeleine joined OHFA as an OSU Research Coordinator in September 2023. She has her PhD in Human Development and Family Science from The Ohio State University. Her role at OHFA is part of her post-doctoral scholar position at Ohio State where she researches affordable housing, consumer finance, and rural-urban differentials.
Brandon Frye
Brandon joined OHFA as an OSU Intern in August 2024. He is currently a second-year PhD student in John Glenn College of Public Affairs' Public Policy and Management program at The Ohio State University, with a focus on housing affordability and organizational innovation. Prior to beginning his PhD, he received his Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University in Economics and Public Policy Analysis. His role at OHFA is part of his graduate research associateship.