Experience

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  Girls Inc.

  • Washington DC-Baltimore Area

  • Director of Research & Evaluation

    • Dec 2022 - Present
    • Washington DC-Baltimore Area

    Leads the Girls Inc. Research & Evaluation Department (R&E) to provide data-driven insights to ensure that, locally and nationally, Girls Inc. is known as the experts on girls. R&E produces informational products that help national and local affiliate teams tell a data-driven story of “Why Girls Inc.?” and how the Girls Inc. Experience impacts the lives of girls, volunteers, and staff. We lead national conversations about what it’s like to be a girl today, providing research and information to inform programming, public policy, and development efforts for the Girls Inc. network.

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  ZERO TO THREE

  • Senior Director of Research & Evaluation

    • Dec 2013 - Dec 2022

    Directed evaluation activities for multiple programs and initiatives across the organization:• Led the development of an organization-wide logic model to inform strategic planning, business development, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement (CQI).• Oversaw internal and external evaluation efforts for the HealthySteps National Office, which supports sites across the country in implementing the HealthySteps model in pediatric clinics and other primary care settings.• Led the evaluation and CQI efforts of the National Center on Early Childhood Development, Teaching, and Learning funded by the Office of Head Start (OHS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF).• Led the evaluation and CQI efforts of the Early Head Start National Resource Center funded by the Office of Head Start (OHS) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Technical Assistance Coordinating Center funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).POSITION HISTORY• 2017-2022: Senior Director of Research & Evaluation• 2015-2017: Director of Research & Evaluation• 2013-2015: Senior Evaluation Manager

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  Walter R. McDonald & Associates, Inc.

  • Research Manager

    • 2008 - Nov 2013

    • Project Director for three simultaneous subcontracts on programs of national significance funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.• Directed the evaluation and continuous quality improvement (CQI) efforts of the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) Program Technical Assistance Coordinating Center funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).• Led the development of performance measures, benchmarks, and CQI reports for the Children’s Mental Health Initiative (CMHI) and the Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI) funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).• Designed and implemented an evaluation of CQI in communities funded through CMHI.• Directed a multi-site longitudinal study comparing functional and clinical outcomes of children involved in the child welfare sector who received different service arrays.• Designed and implemented an evaluation of the Social Services Income Maintenance and Benefits Enrollment Coordination grants administered by the Office of Community Services (OCS).• Led the production of the annual report for the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program administered by OCS.• Provided training on evaluation, data analysis and presentation, performance measurement, benchmarking, and CQI to grantees of Federally-funded programs.• Contributed to annual reports to Congress for CMHI, and produced quarterly newsletters on the national evaluation for grantees and program partners.POSITION HISTORY• 2009-2013: Research Manager• 2008-2009: Research Associate

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  LeCroy & Milligan Associates

  • Evaluation Associate

    • 2006 - 2008

    • Designed an evaluation of screening, assessment, and treatment processes for individuals with co-occurring disorders in the adult and juvenile corrections and probation systems for the Arizona Governor’s Office for Children, Youth, and Families.• Designed and implemented a process and impact evaluation for a program initiated by the Arizona Administrative Office of the Courts that diverted non-violent drug offenders from prison to probation and treatment.• Conducted an evaluation of a dropout prevention program funded by the Arizona Department of Education and produced an electronic toolkit of best practices for use by school staff and policymakers.• Conducted a quasi-experimental study on the effectiveness of abstinence education for the Arizona Department of Health Services.• Designed and implemented an evaluation of community-based abstinence education programs delivered by Catholic Charities.

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  Tucson-Pima Collaboration to End Homelessness

  • Chair and Committee Member

    • 2003 - 2008

    • Served on the Executive Committee, which establishes policies, priorities, and guidelines for the group and serves as a point of contact to relay information on homelessness to the local community.• Chaired a committee that developed the Plan to End Homelessness in Pima County, which involved conducting interviews, focus groups, and public meetings with various stakeholders to solicit input on the plan; presenting the plan to the policymakers and the general public; and handling media relations.• Oversaw a cost study of homelessness conducted by the University of Arizona, Department of Sociology.• Served as team leader for the annual count of unsheltered homeless people.• Reviewed grant applications from service agencies in preparation for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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  Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology, University of Arizona

  • Research Assistant

    • 2000 - 2006

    • Designed and implemented dissertation research funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that examined the impacts of restrictive legal and social policies on people experiencing homelessness.• Conducted research on the social and environmental impacts of the petroleum industry.• Designed and implemented a research project examining the social and environmental impacts of alternative residential developments.• Created an archive with more than 50 years of records on health-focused research among Native American tribes and other indigenous populations.