She served on a governor's commission. At the time I was surprised that she was tapped (not a politico, just a registered Republican) but now it's starting to make sense.

Was she what I call a collaborator?

but she was a registered Republican and as such one of the few pure researchers who had that registration. Most of my colleagues were Democrats or Democratic-leaning people. Very few were Republicans. I think that whoever compiled the "Wommins-you-should-use-in-your-admin" list had slim pickings in some topic areas and that's why she rose to the top of the heap. To be fair thougn she was a scrupulously nonpartisan researcher.