About
Mary Ann Bates is Executive Director of the State of California’s new Cradle-to-Career Data System. This statewide data system will provide tools to help students reach their goals and deliver information on education and workforce outcomes. Its vision is to foster evidence-based decision-making to help Californians build more equitable futures and empower individuals to reach their full potential.
Mary Ann previously served as a senior fellow at the White House Office of Management and Budget, where she supported efforts to advance evidence-based policy and learning agendas that identify priority research questions. Prior to that she was the Executive Director of J-PAL North America at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which aims to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence. She began her life in Ohio's Amish community and started her college experience via dual enrollment at Kent State University Tuscarawas. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.
