About DHM Research

DHM Research is an independent research firm that specializes in measuring the values and priorities that drive public opinion. Our research provides high-quality, objective information to help organizations and leaders make informed decisions about complex issues.

Founded in Portland in 1977, DHM Research has decades of experience in polling, public policy research and how it can help shape communities. From our deep roots in the Pacific Northwest to the I-95 corridor at the heart of the East Coast, our clients trust us to provide meticulous analysis and nonpartisan insights.

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Understand the issues, understand each other

We believe that sound research is one of the most powerful tools a leader can use. You make better decisions when you understand the opinions and motivations of the people your actions will affect.

To help our clients gain that level of understanding, we tailor our approach to the distinct challenges of each question we set out to answer. Our research team tunes into the client’s specific needs, determines the audiences they need to reach, then designs a custom research strategy to meet those goals.

Who we are

DHM Research is a team of highly skilled and knowledgeable professionals who bring curiosity, focus and integrity to our work. We relish opportunities to dive into weighty topics and bring clarity to complex challenges.

Every member of the DHM Research team believes that research plays a vital role in building a better future. Here’s how we bring that belief into our work.

Our Team

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Michelle Neiss

President

Important decisions demand that we look beyond our own biases. Research helps us gather multiple perspectives and offers the opportunity to change course if its findings suggest we need to reconsider our ideas.

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John Horvick

Senior Vice President

Democracy demands that every person has their say. And good decisions require hearing from everyone. Public opinion research provides the tools to ensure that all community members’ opinions are accounted for, which brings to light their needs and helps guide the path toward effective solutions.

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Tanisha Tate Woodson

Director of Research Equity

With research we have the power to identify problems and systematically use data to discover the root causes and solutions for those problems. When we apply an equity lens to research, we are then able to focus on the lived experiences of those most affected by an issue and use their perspective to inform the path for a brighter future.

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Devin Bales

Director of Research

To build a better future, we have to figure out how decisions and policies impact people’s lives. Research helps us better understand what is working well, what could improve and who is most impacted.

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Hannah Borenstein

Research Manager

As researchers, we are conduits for the opinions, attitudes and behaviors of the public. We are able to amplify marginalized voices and communicate constituents’ desires to improve their communities and governments – moving toward a better future for the people, by the people.

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Tony Iaccarino

Research Manager

In a democratic society, leaders need to know where the public stands on key issues so that they can make informed decisions that reflect broader values and priorities. In that sense, public opinion research is essential to a functioning democracy.

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Kara Krnacik

Research Manager

Research is an immensely powerful tool that provides a systematic and objective approach to identifying and solving problems. It can play a crucial role in building a better future by providing the data-driven foundation that policymakers and business leaders need to implement viable and inclusive solutions to the issues facing their communities.

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Lane Cooper

Research Associate

Progress is fueled by curiosity. Research allows us to lean into that curiosity, unravel complexities, and gain a deeper understanding of those around us. Only once we have gained understanding do we have the knowledge, tools, and abilities to make informed decisions and better prepare our communities for future success.

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Naama Friedman

Research Associate

Research can help us understand how our attitudes change as the world around us changes more rapidly than we can comprehend. Adapting to an uncertain world is one of the most important tools we have at our disposal as people, and research is one crucial way we can inform that.

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David Phan

Research Associate

Research has always been a critical tool for navigating complex problems, and it is especially important for representing the voices and experiences of people from historically marginalized communities. By elevating public opinion to the forefront of decision making, we diversify avenues for information, redirection and innovation.

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Megan Moore

Marketing and Business Development Manager

Research and its resulting data inform the way we as humans interact with each other, the environment and our world. Research allows us the opportunity to step outside of ourselves and our own perspectives, opening up a world of understanding that can lead to more peaceful, empathetic and favorable interactions.

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Tommy George

Office Administrator

Research provides leaders the ability to truly understand public sentiment. With its unbiased results, research lays the groundwork for a leader to analyze, reflect, plan and create. Research and reporting today should result in an even better tomorrow.

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Michelle Neiss

President

Michelle Neiss, Ph.D., is President at DHM Research. In this role, she is responsible for the company’s strategic vision, directs fiscal goals and operations, and provides guidance and mentorship to the team. She also manages key client and business partnerships and provides methodological leadership.

With over twenty years of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research, Michelle specializes in complex research design and multivariate statistical analysis to inform strategic planning and communications. Her work provides a deeper understanding around subgroups and how attitudes and behavior change over time.

She has a doctorate and master’s degrees from the University of Arizona in family studies and human development, and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in social psychology at the University of Southampton. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Stanford University. Michelle enjoys gardening, reading, and outdoor walks.

Some Clients You May Know:
TriMet, Oregon Health Association, The Eastern Transportation Coalition, OHSU, Washington State Transportation Commission, City of Bend, and Metro.

Selected Presentations:
Healthcare Communicators Northwest, IBTTA Communications Summit, IBTTA Finance Summit, and Oregon Community College Association.

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John Horvick

Senior Vice President

John Horvick is Senior Vice President at DHM Research. With the firm, John has wedded his passion for community-based politics with his expertise in opinion research. He manages complex projects for the firm, is an experienced focus group moderator. Areas of interest include electoral politics, healthcare, education, land use planning, natural resource use, energy and utilities, transportation, and taxation.

John serves as DHM’s political commentator and insights and commentary is often be found in local media such as OPB, the Pamplin Media group, the Oregonian, Willamette Week, as well as in various national publications.

John holds a degree in sociology from University of Minnesota. He has since found a second home in Portland and has committed himself to furthering a culture of civic engagement in Oregon. He serves as the board chair for Healthy Democracy and as a board member of the City Club of Portland. John is an avid traveler and runner and can frequently be found on his way to meeting his annual goal of running in all 36 of Oregon’s counties.

Some Clients You May Know:
AARP, Association of Washington Business, City of Portland, City of Salem, City of Tigard, Deschutes River Conservancy, Oregon Public Broadcasting, Oregon School Boards Association, Oregon Health Authority, Portland Bureau of Emergency Management, and KPTV FOX 12 News.

Selected Presentations:
​John regularly presents to public officials, boards of directors, nonprofit groups, and regional and national conferences, including the Portland Business Alliance, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, Oregon School Boards Association, Northwest Gas Association, and the Oregon Society of American Foresters.

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Tanisha Tate Woodson

Director of Research Equity

Tanisha Tate Woodson, Ph.D., is the Director of Research Equity at DHM Research. In this role, Tanisha leads DHM’s research and business development while also supporting teams with incorporating an equity lens into their projects. She holds a doctorate in Social Welfare from Case Western Reserve University and a master’s in public health policy degree from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Across her research and evaluation portfolio, Tanisha uses culturally responsive and equitable approaches and methods to address structural inequities that systematically marginalize groups across identities of race, class, and gender. She is committed to a collaborative and participatory evaluation process that elevates the voices of stakeholders and ensures they play a meaningful role in the research and evaluation process. Ultimately, Tanisha aspires to bridge the gap between science and social service by making research meaningful and accessible to decision-makers to drive policy and program improvements.

Outside of work, Tanisha enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.

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Devin Bales

Director of Research

Devin Bales is the Director of Research at DHM Research. In his role here, Devin oversees research product quality, leads DHM’s research and business development across Washington State, and presents research findings to clients, community groups, and media. He holds a master’s degree in economics from Portland State University and a bachelor’s degree from Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.

He has dedicated his professional life to exploring policy issues central to the region’s future; trying to figure out which policies work, which do not, and what communities are most impacted by policy choices. Prior to joining DHM, Devin managed legislatively mandated research projects at the Washington State Institute for Public Policy in Olympia, taught econometrics and forecasting at Willamette University, organized surveys and data for the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and built housing and job forecast models at the Northwest Economic Research Center.

Devin has spent the last five years conducting non-partisan public policy research to help inform decision makers in the Pacific Northwest. While he has worked for and with organizations across the region, his focus is on his home state of Washington. Devin combines broad regional policy knowledge with research design and data analysis experience to lead rigorous research projects that provide unique insights and value for clients. His areas of interest include: the economy, regional public policy and politics, housing, child welfare, healthcare, education, taxation, transportation, the environment, and energy.

Outside of work, Devin enjoys hiking, hanging out with his dog Oscar, and hoping the Mariners make the playoffs.

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Hannah Borenstein

Research Manager

Hannah Borenstein is a Research Manager at DHM Research. She is responsible for design and execution of quantitative and qualitative projects, ensuring quality and client satisfaction at every step. She is particularly passionate about data visualization, story-driven analysis, making space for marginalized voices, and letting the data speak—which she strives to bring to each project she works on.

Hannah came to DHM with previous research experience from academia through her undergraduate studies, market research, and political polling. She has worked on projects with a wide variety of clients and industries—from motor development and how children learn to play with novel toys; to tech and social media, health and fitness, insurance, apparel, and radio; to ballot initiatives, economic messaging and communication, and workplace sentiments and policies; to local government issues, women’s reproductive health, and much more. She loves to constantly continue learning, which is reflected in the care and attention she puts into her work. As a half Latina and half Jewish woman, it is important to her to participate in and lead diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and programs in all her professional experiences.

Hannah has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a double major in Art History and minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies from New York University. In her free time, she enjoys music and concerts, running, drinking copious amounts of coffee, comedy shows, and spending time with friends, family, and her pandemic turtle Bean. She is a Los Angeles native, making her way up to DHM’s Seattle office in summer 2023.

Some Clients You May Know:
Ulysses PAC, Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems, Thesis, KMM Strategies, Coastline PR

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Tony Iaccarino

Research Manager

Tony Iaccarino, Ph.D., is a Research Manager at DHM Research. Tony is responsible for communicating with clients to identify their goals, designing qualitative and quantitative research that meets their needs, and providing rigorous analysis resulting in actionable strategic insights.

With his extensive policy knowledge, research skill, and community engagement experience, Tony works to identify solutions to vexing policy and governance challenges. He has managed research projects for a range of clients, including state and local governments, utilities, healthcare organizations, and business associations. His focus areas include public finance, transportation, housing, parks, legislative redistricting, public safety, and behavioral health. He believes deeply in the ideal of informed citizenship to enhance the public good, having administered a nationally recognized public deliberation program for the evaluation of Oregon ballot measures, while also spearheading efforts to identify measurable civic engagement indicators for the Portland metro region.

Tony has a B.A. in History from U.C. Berkeley and a Ph.D. in History from U.C.L.A. He taught American political history at Reed College, managed the research program for the City Club of Portland, and served as Policy & Projects Director for Healthy Democracy. A resident of Oregon since 1999, he enjoys hiking and camping, coaching youth soccer and basketball, reading historical fiction, and keeping his family’s Italian culinary tradition alive.

Some Clients You May Know:
Clean Water Services, City of Bend, City of Salem, City of Portland, City of Tigard, and Oregon Business Council.

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Kara Krnacik

Research Manager

Kara Krnacik is a Research Manager at DHM Research. She is responsible for working with clients to identify their goals, designing qualitative and quantitative research that meets their needs, and providing rigorous analysis resulting in actionable strategic insights. Kara utilizes her experience in public policy research and skills in statistical analysis to identify practical and equitable solutions for clients. She has worked across a wide range of policy areas and is extremely passionate about the importance of practical, nonpartisan research.

Prior to joining DHM, Kara worked for the Washington State Institute for Public Policy in Olympia doing public policy research at the discretion of the State Legislature. There she worked on a multitude of topic areas including public health, early education, K-12 education, and commerce and labor. The nature of her work ranged from causal inference to benefit-cost analyses to technical reviews. Being raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kara cares deeply about policy issues that impact the lives of people in this region and is passionate about using data-driven analysis to understand the root of and solutions to these issues.

Kara has a master’s degree in economics from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in global health from the Robert D. Clark Honors College at the University of Oregon. She is particularly passionate about public health policy and the impact of these policies on people’s ability to live healthy and happy lives. Outside of work, Kara enjoys trying new restaurants, going to comedy shows, and spending time with her friends and family.

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Lane Cooper

Research Associate

As a Research Associate at DHM Research, Lane is responsible for project coordination and overall operational support. Lane’s keen eye and passion for data integrity helps to ensure quality data processing and visualization for client deliverables and statistical analyses. Lane brings over 3 years of research experience and over 5 years of operations/project management experience.

Lane holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in conflict resolution from Portland State University. He married these two interests through his thesis where he used the conflicting narrative approach to assess the effectiveness of current DEI practices. In undergrad, Lane took specialized research statistic courses and has since worked in two I/O Psychology research labs, assisting in meta-analyses focused on incivility and emotional contagion in the workplace. Transitioning to his role at DHM, he is excited to use his psychology background to better understand community opinions and help inform public policy initiatives.

As a transgender individual, equity is very close to his heart. He speaks publicly about the trans experience and strives to bring an equity-focused lens to all his work. Outside of work, Lane can be found exploring the local food scene, reading a good mystery novel, and attempting to flee from escape rooms.

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Naama Friedman

Research Associate

In her role as a Research Associate for DHM Research, Naama Friedman gets to explore a variety of topics through assisting on both quantitative and qualitative projects. Her passion for detailed work and organization is applied to processing data and assuring that deliverables are of the highest quality.

Naama holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Reed College, where she wrote a thesis on the interstate compacts formed in 2020 to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Her interests lie in exploring how people engage with the world around them, whether politically, economically, or simply with their own opinions. How can we create a better world that can respond to what people are engaging with? This is what drew Naama to the world of research, and she hopes to continue this work throughout her career.

Born in Chicago, Naama spent time in eastern Tennessee as a child and in Evanston, Illinois as a teenager. Her family’s eclectic mix of Cuban, Eastern European, and Jewish heritage meant that she grew up with an amazing collection of different recipes and a passion for keeping her loved ones fed—which she now shares with her roommates in Portland. Naama has always placed a strong emphasis on creating community wherever she goes, whether through food, music, or collaborative work. In her free time, Naama enjoys singing in a local Portland choir, going on long walks, and spending quality time with friends.

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David Phan

Research Associate

David is a Research Associate at DHM Research. Some of the core responsibilities of his role include preparing client deliverables, providing quality assurance at all stages of research, coordinating fielding of research, analyzing results, and communicating with co-workers, vendors, and clients to ensure smooth collaboration and execution of research.

David’s career goals are rooted in public health research, particularly in subjects related to barriers experienced by Asian Pacific Islanders and other communities of color. As a previous Research Assistant at Oregon Health & Science University, David supported and enhanced the research and communication efforts of a behavioral intervention program for children and teens with a variety of health conditions experiencing psychosocial stressors. His time in a public administration role at Multnomah County, which helped broaden his research interests and opportunities for new learning, paved the way to his current role at DHM.

Hailing from the island of Saipan, David possesses strong family values and proudly embraces his Filipino and Vietnamese heritage. A creative hobbyist at heart, he enjoys filming videos, creating digital illustrations, and practicing photography in his spare time.

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Megan Moore

Marketing and Business Development Manager

Megan Moore is the Marketing & Business Development Manager at DHM Research. Here she is responsible for the strategic planning and execution of all internal marketing. She also manages business development opportunities and is the lead contact for new business.

With more than a decade of experience managing communications, marketing, and new business for global organizations, Megan brings expertise to the team in the areas of project management and organization. She excels at seeing the big picture while maintaining extreme focus on the details to deliver quality results. Megan is passionate about leading communications through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. She prioritizes understanding the “why” so she can strategically implement the “how”.

Megan holds a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Southeast Missouri State University. While she was born and raised in the Midwest, Megan has spent almost 10 years living in various U.S. cities learning the ins and outs of the marketing and business worlds. Most recently she moved to Seattle where she has dreamed of living for years. Outside of the office, Megan enjoys exploring the intersection of cities and nature, spending time with family and her cat, HotWheels, scoping out the tastiest food spots, and drinking more coffee than she probably should.

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Tommy George

Office Administrator

As Office Administrator at DHM, Tommy George is responsible for the firm’s accounting functions, financial and tax reporting, payroll, and benefit administration. With an extensive background in Financial Services and Tax, Tommy specializes in accounting. While he is an expert in and passionate about “attention to detail,” his collective experience brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective to the team.

Tommy holds a bachelor’s degree in International Business and a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Accounting from Linfield College. Born and raised in Oregon, Tommy loves all things PNW. Outside of the office, he enjoys spending quality time with his family and rescue dog. He also loves to fish, crab, clam, eat, and repeat. When not enjoying outdoor activities, he studies music history and plays guitar.