Meron (Mer-OWN) Yohannes (Yo-han-nes) is the policy advisor for Secretary Gina Raimondo. Her portfolio covers Minority Businesses, Travel and Tourism, and Equity. Previously, she was a policy analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), a think tank in Washington, D.C., researching and developing recommendations on affordable housing, water infrastructure, AI and the workforce, and evidence-based policymaking. Before BPC, Meron was a graduate research assistant at the Survey Evaluation and Research Laboratory at the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). She conducted evaluations to inform policy decisions for the state, local, and non-profit clients pertaining to criminal justice, policing, transportation, poverty, and social work. In 2018, Meron received a Master's in Public Administration and a Bachelor's in Political Science from VCU. When she is not working at OPSP, Meron serves her community as an appointed commissioner for the Herndon Planning Commission. She and six other commissioners provide the Mayor and Town Council zoning and planning recommendations.