StaffLeah Goldstein Moses, President and Chief Executive Officer Deborah Mattila, Business and Research Manager Marian Kimball Eichinger, Research Manager Becky Stewart, Research Manager Susan Murphy, Executive Assistant |
||
Staff List:LeahGoldstein Moses, M.U.R.P., President and Chief Executive Officer
Leah loves her work with clients and says “I really enjoy building relationships with our clients. They have a lot to teach about what works in their communities, and I particularly like finding clear and meaningful ways to share and use that information.” Leah is on the Boards of the Minnesota Evaluation Association and of Jewish Family Service of St. Paul. She has volunteered with a number of women-centered organizations including the YWCA of Minneapolis and helped to found Every Woman Votes! in the Twin Cities. Leah spends most of her free time with her family and friends and loves to cook for a houseful of people. Deborah Mattila, B.A., Business and Research Manager
Since 2005 Deborah has managed the evaluation of Performing Arts Workshop’s Artists-in-Schools program. This evaluation takes a quasi-experimental approach, using both qualitative and quantitative research methods and has spanned two U.S. Department of Education grants. Marian Kimball Eichinger, M.A., Research Manager
She says, "I love the investigation, starting with working with each client to identify program goals and outcomes, then uncovering and sharing program impacts." Marian has a Certificate in Program Evaluation and a Masters of Education from the University of Minnesota, as well as a Bachelor's Degree in Anthropology from Boston University. Before starting her career in evaluation, she spent nearly six years teaching English Language Learning to adult immigrants and refugees residing in the Minneapolis area, as well as English as a Foreign Language abroad. Today, she enjoys traveling, reading, film and the arts, spending time with her family and friends, and performing in local theater. Becky Stewart, M.P.P., Research Manager
Her other interests include traveling, cooking, and spending time with friends and family. In summer 2006, Becky was excited to combine travel and professional interests by helping the Handloom Weavers Development Society in Kerala, India develop a participatory evaluation tool for their members. Susan Murphy, B.A., Executive Assistant
About the Improve Group Susan says, "It is fulfilling to work for an organization that cares about the community around us and values so many of the same issues I do." Susan has a strong knowledge of issues concerning education and the arts and has helped to bring artistic learning opportunities to local schools. Work with the School Arts Fund of United Arts Council involved grant writing, site visit and evaluation of artists’ residencies. Other business experience includes community and event planning for the City of Saint Paul, service on the board of the Multicultural Initiatives Alliance, participation in the Grand Excursion planning & execution, Leadership Saint Paul and programming for West 7th Plaza. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Susan misses her days traveling the United States as an actress but now prefers to focus her creative energy on raising her two young sons. Elizabeth Radel, M.P.H., Research Analyst
Elizabeth holds a Masters in Public Health in Maternal and Child Health with an Epidemiology Emphasis from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from American University in Washington, DC. Elizabeth enjoys traveling and visiting friends and family that live far away. This year has taken her to Vancouver, Washington, DC, and China. She also spends her free time trying healthy recipes, walking, and reading for her book club. Eric Wong, M.P.P., Research Analyst
Eric says, “Working with data can provide so much insight on addressing problems of our clients and working with clients on addressing those problems is always and enlightening learning experience.” Eric holds a Masters in Public Policy degree from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Carleton College. Eric has volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and supports Lutheran Social Services of MN and Lutheran World Relief. His other interests include personal finance planning, reading biographies and assisting his parents at their restaurant, Golden Inn, in Superior, WI. David Rothstein, Technical Writer
David holds a PhD in English from the University of Minnesota and a BA in English from St. John’s University, MN. He is also a certified spiritual director with the Loyola Spirituality Center in St. Paul. His other interests include outdoor activities with the Minnesota Rovers outdoors club (camping, biking, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, skiing), gardening, cooking, and the arts. Business Collaborators:The Improve Group partners with a number of talented consultants whose skills and experience complement the services we provide for our clients. As a part-time freelance writer and editor, Stephanie satisfies her interest in “nearly all subjects” for just long enough not to tire of them. “I enjoy being introduced to new subjects and programs. Freelance writing gives me the opportunity to briefly research issues and contribute to several different projects simultaneously.” She also enjoys the art of creating persuasive arguments and organizing people, projects and ideas. Stephanie has experience in the non-profit sector with various issues from aging and disability, the environment, land use, to women’s rights, and the economy. Contact Stephanie at: www.stephmadams@hotmail.com Sharon Roe Anderson has 30 years of experience developing programs for people at all levels in the educational, political, community, and business arenas. Her background includes extensive public affairs work in executive and professional development, strategic positioning and planning, international and intercultural relationships, and leadership education. Sharon obtained her B.A, from St. Olaf College and her Masters from the University of Minnesota. Contact Sharon at: sharonroeanderson@comcast.net Aurora Consulting's mission is to work in partnership with organizations and people in order to develop helpful knowledge and skills that remain in the organization. Their four service areas are: (1) Leadership, (2) Coaching, (3) Strategic Development and (4) Facilitation. Aurora Consulting provides training, project management and problem-solving services in each of these areas. Julia Classen is Aurora Consulting's primary consultant. On-line at www.auroraconsult.com Gary Barnes is a transportation economist at the State and Local Policy Program, part of the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota. He holds a joint appointment as a Center for Transportation Studies Research Scholar. He has worked at the University of Minnesota for eight years doing research focused on economic and behavioral aspects of transportation issues. Dr. Barnes has recently been or is currently involved in research projects examining right-of-way acquisition strategies, evaluation of bicycle infrastructure investments, transportation for disadvantaged groups, the determinants of commute durations, and public involvement in transportation planning. He has a Bachelor's degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Minnesota. Mr. Barnes helps the Improve Group in performing economic analysis around the implications of proposed programs, policies and strategic initiatives. Contact Gary Barnes at http://www.hhh.umn.edu/centers/slp Nancy Weiss has over 15 years of experience providing organizations with tailored solutions to a variety of workplace challenges including training and education, performance improvement, organization development support, and change management. Her education and training includes an M.ED, Instructional Systems and Technology from the University of Minnesota (1995) including a Professional Certificate in Training and Development. Nancy's broad experience spans the organizational landscape from small start-ups to large corporations, and government agencies to Fortune 500 corporations. She founded Catalyst Consulting Group in 2006 to broaden services in knowledge management and work process improvement. See Nancy's newly launched website at Twin Cities Consulting : Catalyst Consulting Services Twin Cities Minnesota DeYoung Consulting Services, LLC Karen DeYoung is the President/CEO of DeYoung Consulting Services, LLC, a consulting company that works to provide quality learning experiences for a variety of organizations, including government agencies, corporations, non-profit entities, and schools. Ms. DeYoung has worked as an instructional design and performance improvement consultant since 1996. She works to analyze organizational performance needs and to design and develop solutions (training manuals, workshops, self-study guides, job performance aides, etc.) that effectively address those needs. She specializes in customized, rather than out of the box, solutions and provides clients with a particularly comprehensive performance analysis process that identifies and offers recommendations for both training and non-training related challenges. Ms. DeYoung also works with her clients to implement those solutions. She received a BA in Broadcast Communications from American University and a M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from the University of Minnesota. Link to DeYoung Consulting at www.deyoungconsultingservices.com Jules Goldstein has more than thirty years experience meeting the information needs of K-12 education in Minnesota. He has a broad background in design, analysis and reporting at school, district, region and state levels. He has a B.A. in mathematics from Macalester College and an M.A. in teaching from the University of Saint Thomas. He says, "I most enjoy the feeling of discovery when an unexpected link is found, the point where data becomes information." Jules has served on numerous community boards and committees and currently serves Vice President of the United Jewish Fund and Council. Jules Goldstein's email address: julesg@theimprovegroup.com Darby Laing is a graphic designer with 11 years of experience and is the principal designer of LAINGdesign. Darby is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in graphic design. Her focus is targeted, communication strategies with straightforward clean design solutions. She is excels in developing creative marketing plans, corporate identity, publications, advertising and web sites. Darby's clients include: Minnesota Public Radio, the University of Minnesota, the Improve Group, Hamline University and the College of St. Catherine. To find out more about Laing Design please use the following link:www.laingdesign.com Gregory H. Ritter founded The Ritter Group, LLC in 1999 with the mission of advancing nonprofit missions. He has served in both senior staff and consulting positions in the development, strategic planning and Board training fields for more than 25 years. His areas of expertise are major gift development, annual and capital campaigns, planned giving, office audits, staff search, Board and staff training. Before serving clients on a full-time basis, Greg was Vice President for Development of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Foundation. He had previously served as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Augsburg College (Minneapolis, Minnesota) for eight years. He was president of a consulting firm in the 1980’s, and served dozens of clients including the University of Minnesota, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, Presbyterian Homes of Minnesota, the Episcopal Diocese of Minnesota, and others. He began his career in fund raising serving for eight years as Vice President for Development of United Theological Seminary (New Brighton, Minnesota). He holds the Bachelor of Science degree (with distinction) from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Divinity (with honors) from United Theological Seminary. He is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and the Minnesota Planned Giving Council. To learn more click here: www.therittergroup.com A management consulting firm focused on optimizing public sector and corporate business and IT functions, Strategy1 brings years of hands-on experience to help their clients do things in the right way with the right resources. They offer a full range of consulting services including:
By providing knowledgeable, veteran subject matter experts, Strategy1 has proven that by rethinking the fundamental relationships between operating strategies, business processes, technology and the talents of those doing the work, it is possible to resolve today’s competitive challenges and implement solutions that truly provide bottom-line value For more information contact Brent Willi at brentwilli@strategy1consulting.org. Brett Yerks graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota in 1999. He has nine years of experience running an IT department in a corporate environment and is currently the IT Manager for a medical device company. In 2005, he started an IT consulting company, Yerkotech Computer Solutions, which focuses on providing IT solutions to small businesses with 5 to 50 employees. To find out more please click on the following link: www.yerkotech.com |
||
|
|
 |
|
 |
Leah Goldstein Moses founded the Improve Group in 2000 to address a need in the public and non-profit sectors to make better use of available information and find creative ways to answer questions. She specializes in evaluation and research design, facilitation and helping organizations use information for planning. She came to the field from a background in program management at a time when grant-funded programs were increasingly being asked to demonstrate results, sometimes for the first time.
Deborah
Mattila is a Research Manager and Business Manager for the Improve Group. She
has worked for the company since 2000. Deborah has experience in evaluation
and planning projects related to education, juvenile justice, transportation,
performing arts, and social services. Deborah has a B.A. in Geography from
the University of Minnesota. Her geographic perspective gives her unique insight
into how non-profit organizations impact communities at multiple levels of
scale.
Marian
Kimball Eichinger has enjoyed working with the Improve Group for three years.
She is currently a Research Manager and her specialties include qualitative
and quantitative instrument design, data collection, analysis and reporting,
and project coordination. She is experienced in evaluating education, arts,
health and safety, and juvenile justice initiatives. Marian entered the evaluation
field from an adult education background and in addition to research management,
she enjoys utilizing her education skills with the Improve Group by facilitating
workshops and presentations on evaluation basics and other facets of the field. 
Rebecca
Stewart started with the Improve Group in 2004 as a Consultant and Project
Manager. Her experience at the firm includes participatory analysis and process
design, quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation and strategic
planning. Previously, Becky worked for a community development organization
in a number of roles including fundraising and project management. Becky has
a Master's Degree in Public Policy from the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
at the University of Minnesota, with a concentration in economic and community
development. She received her undergraduate degree from Macalester College
in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Susan
Murphy offers a broad work experience to the Improve Group team, including
office management, fund raising, grant writing, marketing, website and volunteer
management and special project work coordinating major city-wide events.
Elizabeth
Radel brings a background of health research and evaluation to the Improve
Group. She specializes in quantitative and qualitative data collection,
analysis, and interpretation and survey analysis. Her research interests
include children with special health care needs and reproductive and sexual
health. She has worked with small non-profit organizations tailoring
evaluation plans to their specific needs. She also has experience analyzing
and interpreting existing national data sets for the use of state-level government
organizations.
Eric
Wong has performed analysis on the behalf of private companies, nonprofit organizations
and government agencies. He brings experience in research and evaluation
across multiple areas, including education, labor policy and tax policy. His
accomplishments include an evaluation on need-based financial aid on the academic
progress of low- to middle income college students and projecting revenue losses
for the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s 2006 Tax Expenditure Budget.
David Rothstein has a background in teaching and technical writing. A former associate professor of English, David taught writing courses, nineteenth-century British literature and general literature courses. He also served as Assessment Coordinator for his department at St. John’s University. Other academic experience includes technical writing and academic advising for Capella University in Minneapolis. As director of membership development and fundraising for a non-profit conservation organization, he also wrote grants, articles, and marketing materials.