Dr. Hanson joined The Children's Trust in December 2003. She is a licensed psychologist and former faculty member of the University of Miami School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. While at UM, Dr. Hanson served as a principal investigator and program coordinator for multiple early intervention and maternal-child health studies and service programs. As the Chief of Research Evaluation and Strategic Planning, Dr. Hanson emphasizes accountability and the need to document the impact of investments, as well as the collection of data to inform the public and policymakers about the needs of children in the County.

Dr. Hanson earned her Ph.D. at Saint Louis University in St. Louis, MO, and completed a clinical psychology internship at the University of Miami's Mailman Center for Child Development specializing in pediatric and child clinical populations. In recent years, she has been trained as a trainer in Results-based Accountability (RBA), a framework used by The Children's Trust for moving from talk to action to improve the quality of life and outcomes for children and families in Miami-Dade.