Evaluating with an open heart and mind.
Evaluating with an open heart and mind.
I’m a researcher, evaluator, facilitator, collaborator, and communicator
with over 15 years of experience in program evaluation and improvement. How people gather, make sense of, and use information has always intrigued me, and I’ve always felt we could be having more fun in the process.
I bring a range of experiences to this work. Most recently, I was a Senior Research & Learning Officer at the Oregon Community Foundation for almost 10 years. At the Foundation, I was responsible for designing, managing and conducting evaluations of programs and initiatives in collaboration with a range of community partners. I’ve previously held roles in program evaluation, higher education learning assessment, and organizational improvement.
I’m also a mother, daughter, wife, dog and cat parent, gardener, knitter, lover of arts and artists and bad reality TV (balance is good, right?). I grew up in Montana but have been in Oregon for well over half my life. My home is in Milwaukie, Oregon on the ancestral lands of the Clackamas people; I live with my wonderful husband Scott, our daughter and our very silly animals.
What working together
looks like
This can lead us to more meaningful, valid, and useful data and enable more intentional use of that data.
Curiosity
We’ll start with curiosity and I’ll work to get to know the people and context of a project or program. I act as a facilitator of learning and a promoter of equity and justice. I’m passionate about helping people thrive and empathetic to a fault, if that is possible.
Collective Expertise
My aim is to minimize burden and build power (which is not finite). I want people to feel and be seen, heard, understood and trusted so that our collective expertise leads to better decisions and more humane programs and systems.
Rewarding Experiences
I want research and evaluation activities to be rewarding experiences for everyone involved. I believe evaluators have to work thoughtfully to minimize and repair harm whenever possible. And that this work can also be joyful and engaging, and that creating space for connection is vital to making our communities more just and equitable.
Much of my career has focused on improving programs and systems that support children and families.
This includes work in (and at the intersections of):
Highlighted Publications
Designing Quality Survey Questions, 2nd Edition
In Conversation: Two Community Foundations in Dialogue About Their Equitable Evaluation Framework™ Practice
Cultivating a Garden within the Child Care Ecosystem: Findings from the Oregon Child Care Alliance Evaluation, spring 2023
From Quantity to Quality: Lessons learned from an ongoing statewide initiative in the text Measure, Use, Improve!
Insights & Ideas
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Do you need a survey coach?
I have a few clients every year who don’t need (and often can’t afford) a big, robust evaluation project, but are looking for a little expert support and guidance to make sure they’re getting the information they need and can use. Often these clients are nonprofit organizations with very small budgets for evaluation, or who…
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I’m still here and this work still matters
Curious about how I can support you or your organization? Check out my core offerings: What else is keeping me afloat
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Studio to School Initiative evaluation
(past project, Oregon Community Foundation) The challenge: Numerous studies have demonstrated that the arts are essential to a well-rounded education; the arts help us express ourselves, providing a source of history, cultural identity, and connection. Arts education has long been inequitable within Oregon’s public school system. Some schools and districts offer multiple opportunities for students…
Let’s explore what we can do TOGETHER
Schedule a call to learn more about how I can help you ask
better questions and make a bigger impact.