Senior Leadership Biographies
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Debra Coaxum Print-friendly PDF |
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Duties
Debra Coaxum serves as the Assistant Administrator for Statistical Methodology and Data Collections.
Debra leads EIA’s enterprise statistical framework and oversees the integrity of EIA’s energy data collections. Debra directs the development of advanced statistical and survey methodologies, ensures adherence to rigorous information quality standards, and guides the design and administration of EIA’s standardized survey instruments. Debra also manages the agency’s survey operations to meet emerging energy information needs while maintaining strong protections for confidential data.
Biography
Before her most recent EIA appointment, Debra served as the Vice President of Primary Data Collection at RTI International. Prior to that role, she served as a Vice President in the Economic, Justice, and Society Department at NORC. In these executive-level positions, Debra effectively led multiple data collection and statistical research efforts and implemented noteworthy operational efficiencies.
Prior to joining these private-sector firms, Debra spent more than 20 years in the federal sector. Her last federal appointment was at EIA. During her tenure at EIA, she led the design, development, and implementation of a standard business process to centralize collection and processing for several of EIA’s surveys. Debra also helped lead the modernization for the IT systems that collect, process, analyze, and disseminate energy information.
Before working at EIA, Debra worked for almost 15 years at the U.S. Census Bureau. While at the Census Bureau, Debra led various statistical projects that improved the usefulness, timeliness, and quality of the Foreign Trade Statistics and Census of Governments programs.
Debra holds a BS in mathematics from Morris Brown College; an MS in mathematics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville; and an MBA from George Washington University.