About DHM Research

Michelle Neiss, Ph.D., is President at DHM Research, where she leads the company’s strategic vision, oversees operations and fiscal planning, and provides mentorship across the team. She also manages key client relationships and brings methodological leadership to complex research initiatives. Her interests span healthcare, transportation, aging, and quality of life—areas where data can drive meaningful, people-centered change.

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. A bit nomadic at heart, Michelle finds grounding in gardening, reading, and long walks whenever she’s home.

Some Clients You May Know:
Oregon Forest Resources Institute, The Eastern Transportation Coalition, Clean Water Services, City of Bend, and Oregon Health Association

Selected Presentations:
Michelle presents regularly to public officials, boards of directors, and at regional and national conferences, including Portland Metro Chamber, Healthcare Communicators Northwest, IBTTA Communications Summit, IBTTA Finance Summit, and Oregon Community College Association.

John Horvick is Senior Vice President at DHM Research, where he leads complex public opinion projects focused on Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. With more than two decades of experience, he has conducted over 500 focus groups and regularly surveys residents to understand their values, priorities, and aspirations for their communities.

John is a trusted political analyst whose insights are frequently featured in regional media including OPB, The Oregonian, Willamette Week, and as the political analyst for FOX 12. His work helps decision-makers and community leaders understand public opinion and respond with policies that reflect people’s concerns and priorities.

He holds a degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota and serves as board chair for Healthy Democracy, a nonprofit dedicated to inclusive public engagement.

Jenn Hoker is a leader at DHM Research, where she serves as Vice President and Head of Washington. In this role, Jenn spearheads innovative research initiatives that empower organizations to uncover actionable insights and enhance strategic communications. With extensive expertise in communications strategy, thought leadership, crisis management, and brand reputation, she collaborates with a diverse range of clients from global corporations, non-profits and academic institutions, leveraging research strategies to inform action.

Jenn is enthusiastic about using research to shape outcomes and inspire change, particularly in the realms of public policy, healthcare, technology, and education. Before joining DHM Research, Jenn served as Executive Vice President of Data and Insights at Edelman, where she led West Coast operations and provided strategic counsel to industry leaders like Microsoft, Starbucks, and Alaska Airlines.

Jenn is also an avid yoga practitioner, believing that when we slow down to truly listen, we create the conditions for education, understanding, and lasting change.

Tony Iaccarino, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Manager at DHM Research. He works with clients to understand their goals, designs qualitative and quantitative research to meet their needs, and provides rigorous analysis to support informed decision-making.  

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, transportation agencies, utilities, and healthcare organizations. 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. He enjoys hiking and foraging for mushrooms, coaching youth soccer and basketball, reading historical fiction, and keeping his family’s Italian culinary tradition alive. 

Some Clients You May Know: City of Bend, City of Portland, City of Salem, Consor, League of Oregon Cities, Oregon Business & Industry, Oregon Department of Transportation, Seattle City Light, and St. Charles Health System. 

Hannah Borenstein is a Senior Research Manager at DHM Research. She is responsible for the 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, and she loves to constantly continue learning. She has worked on projects with a wide variety of clients and industries—from developmental psychology, to tech and social media, health and fitness, and corporate social responsibility; to ballot initiatives, economic messaging and communication, local government issues, community priorities, utility service satisfaction, public health campaign testing, and much more. Her Latina heritage has inspired her passion for accessibility, cultural validity, and equity in research.

Hannah graduated from New York University with a BA in Psychology and Art History, and a minor in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Studies. In her free time, she enjoys music and concerts, running, drinking copious amounts of coffee, and spending time with loved ones. She is a Los Angeles native, currently in Seattle.

Some Clients You May Know:
Washington: Seattle City Light, The Stranger, Washington Healthcare Authority, City of Bellingham, Clark County; Oregon: Washington County, City of Gresham, Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative; California: City of Santa Maria

Kara Krnacik is a Research Manager at DHM Research. She is responsible for working with clients to identify their goals, designing quantitative and qualitative research that meets their needs, and providing rigorous analysis resulting in actionable strategic insights. Kara leverages her experience in public policy research and statistical analysis skills to identify practical and equitable solutions for her clients across a wide range of topics, including housing, education, transportation, employment, and public health. 

Prior to joining DHM, Kara worked for the Washington State Institute for Public Policy in Olympia, where she conducted public policy research at the discretion of the State Legislature. The nature of her work ranged from causal inference to benefit-cost analyses to technical reviews. 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.  

Being raised in the Pacific Northwest, Kara cares deeply about policy issues that affect the lives of people in this region and is passionate about the importance of data-driven, nonpartisan research. Outside of work, Kara enjoys running, going to comedy shows, and spending time with her friends and family.

David is a Research Analyst (I) 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.

As a Research Analyst 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.

Olivia Hay is the Business Development & Proposal Coordinator at DHM Research. Olivia leads DHM’s proposal management and development efforts in collaboration with the research team. She also supports the organization’s marketing initiatives and helps DHM put its best foot forward in all of its communications. 

Olivia brings over three years of business development experience supporting organizations working in the international development space. Her previous work helped secure federal funding for organizations that provided monitoring, evaluation, and learning services for the U.S. Agency for International Development’s programs around the world. Olivia has a master’s degree in Global Policy Studies from UT Austin and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Oberlin College. 

Olivia is originally from Portland, Oregon and is excited to return to the Pacific Northwest. She looks forward to continuing to support social impact and research in her home state. Outside of work Olivia enjoys reading, tackling new home improvement and craft projects, and exploring Forest Park.