Staff
Halil Toros
Halil has collaborated with the Economic Roundtable for over 10 years, principally involved in homeless cost avoidance and studies with data linkages. He is a Senior Analytical Consultant at the SAS Institute. In the past, he taught Econometrics, Statistics and Program Evaluation while an Adjunct Professor at USC. He also formerly worked for the County of Los Angeles, California, Chief Executive Office, Services Integration Branch on program evaluation projects, and holds Ph.D. in Political Economy & Public Policy from USC.
Patrick Burns
Patrick joined the Economic Roundtable in 2002, and was on staff until 2025. He studied Economic Geography at Clark University, Kent State University and UCLA. He is a public policy researcher specializing in labor market dynamics, industry change and urban geography, with experience analyzing outcomes for detailed neighborhoods and groups of workers. He is also experienced in compiling, merging and analyzing very large public and confidential data sets.
Daniel Flaming
Dan co-founded the Roundtable in 1991, and led it up to 2025. Before that he worked for the County of Los Angeles, California, coordinating delinquency prevention, managing community development and affordable housing programs, and administering job training and research programs. He has a Ph.D. in urban studies and has led more than 100 research projects at the Roundtable.
Seth Pickens
Seth is a counselor, educator, and minister. His undergraduate degree is from Morehouse, he has an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary, and an EdD from USC. Seth served for a decade as the Senior Pastor of a congregation in South Los Angeles. He has worked to decrease stigma and promote resources around mental well-being, been an elementary school teacher, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Haiti, and, long ago, a stand-up comedian.
