Expanding the Bench™ (ETB) is part of a collaborative field-building movement and is informed by a diverse, multi-stakeholder team of thought partners from the evaluation ecosystem. This team offers strategic direction, feedback, and recommendations to guide the development and growth of ETB.
With decades of combined experience in their fields, our Advisory Team members help us better understand and address the needs of the broader community.
Stucture
All Advisory Team members sit on one of three workgroups. The workgroups and their purpose include:
- Advise on short- and long-term direction of the ACE Evaluation Network
- Identify professional development, networking, and community-building activities for Network Members
- Suggest ways to improve and enhance the online ACE Evaluation Network Database
- Recommend strategies to shift behavior amongst Funders of Evaluation to outreach and engage with CREE evaluators
Carlos Romero • President, Apex Evaluation
I founded Apex over 20 years ago and serve as chief evangelist for our approach to evaluation, which is rooted in systems thinking and learning. I have over 25 years of experience in program planning, evaluation, and facilitation. I hold a BS in Political Science and a Master’s in Business Administration. Our vision at Apex is simple, ambitious, and infinite: evaluation that works. Evaluation that works is a response to the myriad ways in which evaluation and data have not served the interests of organizations addressing wickedly complex issues or the vulnerable populations most impacted by their work. For this moment in time, I strive to evaluation can work better through a stronger, clearer, amplified mission of learning that: (a) promotes and facilitates thinking to initiate and inform the magnitude of innovation that is needed to break from the status quo; (b) stimulates and guides the rigorous and continuous learning from data to adapt and sustain meaningful and lasting change under dynamic, complex conditions; and (c) exposes and fights against bias and misuse of data, particularly when done intentionally by those whose interests are not aligned with equity and the greater good.
Efraín Gutierrez • Head of Impact and Evaluation, Obama Foundation
Efraín is Impact and Evaluation Manager for the Obama Foundation where he leads the Foundation’s learning and evaluation unit. As part of his work, he is implementing an evaluation and learning strategy and building a structure to help the Foundation learn from its work, adapt its program strategies as needed, measure progress and impact, and engage communities effectively. Before working for the Obama Foundation, Efraín was Associate Director of Equity Partnerships at FSG, where we participated in strategy, evaluation, and community development projects with a variety of national and regional foundations, including the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, The Gates Foundation, and Outright International (formerly the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission). Throughout his career, Efraín has explored the intersection of evaluation, data, and equity and presented on how to make evaluation and data work for Latinx, LGBTQ, and other underserved communities at different national conferences including The Impact Exchange, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, American Evaluation Association, and Funding Forward. Efraín was born and raised in Capilla de Guadalupe, a small town in Jalisco Mexico. He lives in Washington DC but is in San Francisco often visiting his partner.
Hiba Rahim • Assistant Director, Center on Research and Evaluation (CORE), Southern Methodist University
Since February 2013, Hiba Rahim has worked as the Assistant Director of the Center on Research and Evaluation (CORE) with SMU. She currently conducts and manages evaluations for different non-profit organizations and schools internationally and domestically, while providing research services support to SMU faculty. Some of her current projects include examining parent education programs, after school programs, student field experiences, a psycho-educational program for incarcerated minors at-risk or suffering from abuse and/or trafficking, attrition rates of families in a private school, and additional survey, interview, and mixed methods data analysis work. She has a passion for helping underprivileged children gain access to quality education. Read more about Hiba Rahim here.
Nicole Clark, LMSW • Program Design, Research and Evaluation Consultant, Nicole Clark Consulting, LLC
Nicole Clark, LMSW is an independent researcher and evaluator, licensed social worker, and owner of Nicole Clark Consulting where she consults with BIPOC-centered, women-led, and white ally organizations and provides in-person, online and remote trainings to conduct community participatory research and design, implement, and evaluate culturally responsive programming and services for women and girls of color, with a racial justice and intersectional analysis. Nicole speaks, trains, and writes on a variety of topics including the Reproductive Justice framework and incorporating the framework in nonprofit, clinical, and leadership settings, self care and community care, youth-adult partnerships, community-based participatory research, culturally responsive program design and evaluation, and allyship in working with women and girls of color. Nicole is based in Washington, DC.
Shanesha Brooks-Tatum, Ph.D. • Founding Vice President, Creative Research Solutions
Dr. Shanesha Brooks-Tatum is Founding Director of the National Center for Evaluation Assessment and Founding Vice President of Creative Research Solutions, LLC, an award-winning research and evaluation firm in the Atlanta metropolitan area that centers on culturally-responsive and equitable evaluation. She leads national and international evaluation, research, and strategy initiatives for organizations that help them document and broaden their impact. Her results-driven approach maximizes client resources and enables them to tap into new markets. Dr. Brooks-Tatum has served as a strategist or consultant for local, national and international organizations, including the UN Foundation, Reboot Representation, the Center for State and Territorial Epidemiologists, W. K. Kellogg Foundation, Krupp Family Foundation, United Way of Greater Atlanta, Black Women’s Health Imperative, Technical College System of Georgia, and University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (American Studies, social science and humanities concentrations), and her Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley (Interdisciplinary Studies and English), summa cum laude. She has also held visiting professor and visiting scholar appointments at several colleges and universities. An invited radio and television guest and featured writer at news and media outlets, Dr. Brooks-Tatum is the author of several print and media publications in the fields of educational and community research, evaluation, and self-care.
- Offer guidance on fundraising strategy to support ETB
- Share experience and ideas related to Funders for CREE
- Facilitate connections with new investors and other sectors
Jackie Williams Kaye • Chief Learning & Evaluation Officer, Wellspring Philanthropic Fund
Jackie Williams Kaye (she/her) is the Chief Learning & Evaluation Officer at Wellspring Philanthropy Fund. Wellspring’s grantmaking supports work in the US and globally to advance human rights and social justice. Jackie supports Wellspring staff and grantees in using evaluation & research to inform grant making strategies and to learn from them. She spent the first phase of her career as a researcher and program evaluator in public health, education and other human service areas. In recent years she has helped lead an effort within philanthropy to improve evaluation of advocacy and policy change work. Prior to joining Wellspring in 2010, Jackie spent 10 years integrating evaluation and learning into the grant making work at The Edna McConnell Foundation and then at The Atlantic Philanthropies.
Kantahyanee Murray • Senior Research Associate, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Dr. Kantahyanee Murray is a Senior Research Associate in Research, Evaluation and Data (RED) at The Annie E. Casey Foundation. She plans and commissions evaluations in areas such as youth and family well-being, community safety, and evidence-based practice. Kantahyanee is an evaluation manager on large-scale evaluation projects, and in this role collaboratively develops strategies that help stakeholders use data in ways that advance equity. For example, applying culturally responsive methods, engaging residents and other community stakeholders in participatory approaches, and making data more accessible to diverse audiences. She also manages a portfolio to build RED’s capacity to apply racial and ethnic equity and inclusion approaches in evaluation grantmaking, planning and execution. Kantahyanee led Expanding the Bench (ETB) at Casey for 4 years and facilitated ETB’s transition to a field-sustained initiative managed by Change Matrix.
Martina Todaro • Research Associate, Research-Evaluation-Learning, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Martina joined the Research-Evaluation-Learning unit in October 2018. She works on a variety of projects supporting RWJF’s efforts to build bold and lasting change rooted in the best available evidence, analysis, and science, and increase equity, diversity and inclusion inside and outside the foundation. Martina holds a Master’s of Public Administration with a concentration in data analysis, and has worked in evaluation, both as an internal and external evaluator, prior to joining RWJF.
Meredith Blair Pearlman • Evaluation & Learning Director, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Meredith Blair Pearlman serves as the Director of Evaluation and Learning at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation in December 2012, Meredith lead the evaluation and learning at Humanity United. Meredith brings experience implementing programs and developing internal and external reporting, monitoring, and evaluation processes to improve organizational learning. Meredith holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Washington’s Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs. She began her career in international development and assessment as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana.
Olivia Deich • Evaluation & Learning Officer, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Olivia is a Strategy, Monitoring, and Evaluation professional with a decade of experience in philanthropy and consulting. She is passionate about equity and data informed decision-making and is grateful to be in community with the Expanding the Bench Team.
Rebekah Levin • Director of Evaluation and Learning, McCormick Foundation
Rebekah leads the McCormick Foundation’s evaluation activities, working with the staff to use evaluation to inform and guide its strategies, and to support the non-profit community with whom we partner.
Subarna Mathes • Senior Strategy and Evaluation Officer, Ford Foundation
Subarna Mathes serves as a Senior Strategy and Evaluation Officer at the Ford Foundation’s Office of Strategy and Learning. She works closely with programs on strategy development and leads on the integration of evaluation and evaluative thinking into the foundation’s work.
Prior to joining Ford, Subarna was a learning and impact program officer embedded within the Open Society Foundations’ Fiscal Governance Program. Before that, she had served as a consultant with Innovations for Scaling Impact (iScale), where she facilitated strategic planning and theory of change processes, and designed and conducted advocacy and network evaluations for a variety of nonprofit organizations and philanthropies.
Subarna has an MPA in evaluation from the University of Washington, an MA in South Asian studies from the University of Michigan, and a BA in international affairs from the George Washington University.
Theresa Chen • Sr. Director, Evaluation & Learning, Skoll Foundation
Theresa leads strategic evaluation and learning across programs and investments at the Skoll Foundation. Theresa’s previous experience includes researching educational equity for California’s students of color, low-income students, and English language learners; leading the annual measurement process across a literacy and girls’ education program in ten countries; and managing on-the-ground operations for five randomized controlled trials of microfinance programs in India.
- Provide ideas and suggestions to improve or enhance the online CREE curriculum
- Establish criteria for the selection of LEEAD Scholars, Mentors, and Practicum Sites
- Generate ideas for Practicum Sites (e.g., evaluation firms, foundations, think tanks, nonprofit agencies) and connect to the ETB Team when possible
- Provide input on potential professional development opportunities
- Provide input on methodology and useful and accessible products from special projects (e.g. Evolving Evaluation)
Arthur Hernandez • Professor, University of the Incarnate Word
Dr. Hernandez is a Nationally Certified School Psychologist and Counselor, a Diplomate of the American Board of Psychological Specialties and is a licensed Psychologist, and Licensed Specialist in School Psychology. He served as a member and Chair of the Texas Board of Examiners of Psychologists and as a member of the Texas Diabetes Council. He currently serves on the Joint Committee on Standards for Educational Evaluation.
His work has contributed to psycho-educational and public health interventions and effectiveness focusing on the theory and practice of Culturally Responsive and Equitable Evaluation across a variety of settings. His research and scholarly contributions may be found in multiple venues covering topics ranging from teacher education to Type 2 Diabetes in children.
Dr. Hernández has and continues to contribute to funded research, service and teaching projects as Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, Evaluator or Consultant. In addition, he currently serves as Director of the Minority Serving Institutions Fellowship Program of the American Evaluation Association and on the Advisory Board for the Annie E. Casey Foundation – Change Matrix, Leaders in Equitable Evaluation and Diversity program of the Foundation’s Expanding the Bench initiative, which focuses on diversity, equity and inclusion in Evaluation.
Noé Rubén Chávez, Ph.D. • Assistant Professor, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science
Dr. Noé Rubén Chávez is an Assistant Professor of Urban Public Health and Community Counseling at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science. He received his PhD in Community Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his MA in Social/Personality Psychology from the University of California, Riverside. Dr. Chávez is a community psychologist with research interests in youth participatory action research, youth positive development, and mental health. He has collaborated with multiple stakeholders from academia, non-profit organizations, medical centers, public schools, and community-based organizations, in various urban contexts, including the Southside of Chicago, New York City, and currently in South Los Angeles. Currently, he is working with the MLK Community Healing and Trauma Prevention Center in South Los Angeles to develop, implement and evaluate a youth participatory action research (YPAR) mental health curriculum to improve positive developmental and mental health outcomes in youth of color. Dr. Chávez is current Member-at-Large for the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA-Division 27 of the American Psychological Association), SCRA Leadership Development Fellow 2018-2020, Member of the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and Journal of Latinx Psychology.
Jasmine Haywood, Ph.D. • Strategy Officer, Lumina Foundation
Jasmine Haywood, Ph.D., is the strategic impact and learning officer at Lumina Foundation, an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. In that role, she leads work related to the metrics, learning, and evaluation of Lumina’s direct efforts and the outcomes of those efforts. She also works on faculty engagement in postsecondary education.
Before joining Lumina, Dr. Haywood was a visiting faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership at Indiana State University. Prior to joining ISU, she was the managing editor for the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. Dr. Haywood began her career as an admissions counselor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
Haywood has published peer-reviewed scholarship in the areas of anti-Black Latino racism, microaggressions, and faculty of color. She was named a 2016 Ebony Magazine Power 100 honoree and has been quoted in the Washington Post, NBC Latino, and Univision. She holds master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education and student affairs from Indiana University.
Katrina L. Bledsoe, Ph.D. • Senior Evaluation Consultant and Research Scientist, Education Development Center, Inc.
Katrina L. Bledsoe, PhD, is an evaluation, and organizational consultant and strategist with 25 years of experience at the local, state, and federal government levels, and with philanthropic organizations such as The Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Nellie Mae Education Fund. She is currently a senior evaluation specialist and research scientist at Boston-based Education Development Center (EDC), Her expertise is in organizational learning and evaluation, strategic planning, mixed methods, applied social psychology, and cultural contexts. Dr. Bledsoe has served as principal investigator, co-principal investigator, or project director, on a variety of projects and initiatives, and has received grants and contracts for programs in STEM education, mental health, economic development, school-based health, K-12 and higher education and international development.
Tamara Bertrand Jones • Associate Professor, Florida State University
Tamara Bertrand Jones, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Higher Education, Associate Director for the Center for Postsecondary Success, and Associate Chair in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Florida State University (FSU). She uses qualitative methods and critical and feminist theories to examine the sociocultural contexts that influence the education and professional experiences of underrepresented populations, particularly Black women, in academia. Her previous work as a higher education administrator and program evaluator also contribute to her research interests in culturally responsive assessment and evaluation.
Dr. Bertrand Jones is a founder and past president of Sisters of the Academy Institute, an international organization that promotes collaborative scholarship and networking among Black women in academia. Dr. Bertrand Jones attended the University of Texas at Austin for her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, FSU for a Master’s degree in Higher Education Master’s, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Research and Evaluation Methods also from FSU.
Conflict of Interest Policy
It is ETB policy and practice that no Advisory Team member is advantaged or given special consideration in competitive ETB processes.
