OPTIMAL SOLUTIONS GROUP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Business Analyst / IT Specialist
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Research and Technical Analyst III
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Editor
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
- Member of the Information Management Team
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Research Associate
Dr. Kenneth Temkin is a Principal Research Associate for Optimal. Dr. Temkin has over 15 years of experience in working on projects related to the analysis of a variety of issues related to affordable housing and community development. Dr. Temkin has conducted studies and published articles related to social capital, evaluating community development initiatives, the provision of capital in lower income neighborhoods, secondary market transactions for financial assets, valuation and sale of financial assets, and structuring financial transactions.
Prior to joining at Optimal, Dr. Temkin was a Financial Specialist at Kormendi\Gardner Partners (KGP), a DC-based investment bank. At KGP, Dr. Temkin had substantive responsibility for projects related to the disposition of government assets, including HUD held subsidized multifamily loans and real property disposed of through the GSA's Federal Asset Sales real property initiative. In addition, at KGP Dr. Temkin worked on engagements related to the development of new secondary markets for HUD economic development loans, the SBA role in facilitating the securitization of conventional small business loans and the privatization and sale of real property under the Air Force's housing privatization initiative.
At the Urban Institute, Dr. Temkin worked on a variety of projects related to analyzing spatially targeted neighborhood revitalization initiatives, including NCDI, EZ/EC, CDBG, HOME, and HIOPE VI. In addition, he led the Urban Institute's housing finance research practice. In that role, he directed projects related to secondary markets for CRA affordable loan portfolios, the participation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in secondary markets for subprime and affordable mortgage loans, and the effect of secondary market underwriting guidelines on credit availability.
He earned his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1996 after earning an M.B.A. from Baruch College and a B.S. from New York University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Research Associate
- President of KNG Health Consulting
Dr. Lane Koenig is a Senior Research Associate at Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal). At Optimal, Dr. Koenig provides senior-level oversight to Health Policy Research Center projects and activities. He leads the analysis and testing activities for the Development, Implementation, and Maintenance of Quality Measures for Hospital Outpatient Departments and Ambulatory Surgical Centers project. In addition, he serves as a Senior Reviewer on the Evaluation of Virginia Medicaid's Children's Mental Health (CMH) Program.
Dr. Koenig is President of KNG Health Consulting, which primarily serves the private health sector. His prior experience includes positions as Senior Economist at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Senior Scientist at The Lewin Group. In these roles he successfully managed portfolios of diverse projects valued at $1 million annually. He is experienced using statistical techniques to study a broad range of health care issues, including hospital cost efficiency, spending growth, and impacts of healthcare interventions. He has expertise in healthcare systems and provider reimbursement, specializing in Medicare hospital and physician payment policy. He has also regularly briefed administrator and senior staff at CMS and testified before MedPAC.
His proficiency includes development of medical claims and financial databases, conducting econometric analyses, and running microsimulation models. He has authored more than 30 publications.
Dr. Koenig earned his B.A. in economics (with honors) from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Founder
- Member of the Corporate and Senior Management Team
- President
- Principal
- Director & Principal Research Associate
Dr. Mark Turner is the Founder, President, and Principal Associate at Optimal Solutions Group (Optimal), a non-partisan public policy research firm that provides rigorous analysis and technical assistance to government agencies and non-profit organizations. He leads a multi-disciplinary staff of more than 60 employees in designing and implementing research studies and providing technical assistance on a variety of policy relevant topics that span Optimal's four research centers - education, workforce development, health, housing and economic development. Many of these projects are randomized field trials where Dr. Turner has managed recruitment, large-scale data collection, and technical working groups. He also oversees the design and implementation of large technical assistance projects, including the National Center on Service Obligations.
Prior to founding Optimal, Dr. Turner was a Research Scientist at the Institute for Policy Studies and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at Johns Hopkins University. Prior to JHU, he was a Research Associate at the Urban Institute and prior to that worked for the Government Accountability Office. He has authored more than 20 reports and publications, several in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Turner earned a B.A. in economics from Michigan State University and a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Research Associate
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Corporate and Senior Management Team
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Chief Financial Officer at Optimal Solutions Group LLC
Gordon Smith is the Chief Financial Officer at Optimal Solutions Group LLC. He oversees the day to day functioning of the Accounting Department. Mr. Smith comes to Optimal with over forty years of professional experience assisting in the development of overall financial strategies required to balance company growth while building banking and partner relations that foster success.
Mr. Smith is responsible for all areas of administration including finance and accounting, banking relations, balance sheet management, audit and tax compliance and contract administration.
Mr. Smith has twenty years of experience in a government contracting environment with extensive conversion and operating experience with government contracting accounting systems.
Job Titles:
- Business Manager
- Member of the Information Management Team
Job Titles:
- Billing / Payroll Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Research and Communications Analyst I
Kelly Gent is a Research Associate at Optimal. She uses her knowledge and expertise of the health-policy field to assist federal and state policymakers in assessing the economic and social impact of public health issues by using quantitative and qualitative research tools from statistical analysis and geographic mapping to focus groups and survey.
Extremely knowledgeable within the field of health policy and analysis, Ms. Gent worked for the Department of Medical Assistance Services (Virginia's Medicaid Agency) as a Health Policy and Reimbursement Specialist, a Policy and Research Manager, and most recently, as the Policy and Research Division's Acting Director. In that position, she led policy discussion, analysis, interpretation, and research for Virginia's Medicaid program. Her primary duties included participating on the agency's management team, managing the division's budget, completing evaluation projects, and reviewing final products. During the legislative session, Ms. Gent developed and reviewed legislative impact statements on each bill related to Medicaid, met with legislators and committee staff, and drafted legislation for agency initiatives. Ms. Gent also worked as a legislative analyst, senior legislative analyst, and project leader for Virginia's Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. Some of Ms. Gent's tasks included developing study design, writing and administering surveys, and conducting data analysis, such as multivariate regression, using Microsoft Excel and SAS. Reports on which Ms. Gent had a major role in conducting analysis and drafting sections of the final report include: Review of Construction Costs and Time Schedules for Virginia Highway Projects, Review of Virginia's System of Capital Punishment, Review of the Medicaid Reimbursement System for Inpatient Hospital Care, Follow-Up Study of Welfare Reform, and Review of the Performance and Management of the Virginia Department of Health. She also participated in a study that became a published legislative report. In addition to the written product, Ms. Gent presented findings from the report to the Commission and a sub-committee of the Senate Finance Committee.
Ms. Gent holds dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Economics and Political Science, a Certificate in Management Studies from the Simon School of Business, and a Master of Sciences in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Rochester.
Job Titles:
- Senior Meeting and Conference Manager
Job Titles:
- Research Analyst
- Research Analyst III
Luis Pinet is a Research Analyst III at Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal) in the Workforce Development and Social Policy Research Center. He uses his knowledge and expertise of the health policy field to assist federal and state policymakers in assessing the economic and social impact of public health issues by using quantitative and qualitative research tools such as statistical analysis and surveys.
Mr. Pinet has 10 years of experience in health management and operations. He has conducted collaborative research projects in health services, created datasets, and applied multivariate analysis techniques. He has integrated research projects on urban studies, health, and social policy and developed emergency preparedness and response assistance programs for individuals with disabilities.
Mr. Pinet holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of South Alabama and an M.S. in Emergency Health Services from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he is a doctoral candidate in Public Policy.
Job Titles:
- Research and Technical Analyst III
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Research Associate
- Assistant in the Public Policy Department at UMBC
Matea Pender is a research associate at Optimal and PhD candidate at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). She is currently working on completing her dissertation on the effectiveness of educational policies that affect college persistence of students at-risk: first-generation college students, immigrants and underrepresented minorities. During graduate school, Ms. Pender worked as a research assistant on a large-scale, evaluation task with the multidisciplinary team of researchers examining the effectiveness of the intervention program concerned with low participation of underrepresented minorities in science careers. Ms. Pender presented her work about this project at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting in San Diego during the 2nd Annual Conference on Understanding Interventions that Encourage Minorities to Pursue Research Careers in Atlanta.
Ms. Pender is also a teaching assistant in the Public Policy Department at UMBC and an adjunct instructor at Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). She received a Bachelor's degree in Information Systems and a Master's degree in Economic Policy Analysis from the UMBC. Ms. Pender is proficient in using STATA and is knowledgeable in SPSS and SAS.
Job Titles:
- Senior Associate in the Health Policy Research Center
Mildred Williams is a Senior Associate in the Health Policy Research Center at Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal). At Optimal, she is working on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS') Evaluation and Oversight of Qualified Independent Contractors (QIC) project, focusing on the contractual requirements for quality improvement efforts. Ms. Williams audits QICs based on quality review criteria, protocols, and on-site interviews with staff. Ms. Williams is also a senior reviewer for the Medicare Advantage Quality Improvement Organization project, providing strategic direction to the project team. She will also conduct an analysis of the Neonatal Quality Improvement Study and facilitate CMS Technical Advisory Group meetings.
Ms. Williams has provided leadership to county and state mental health and substance abuse systems and programs. She is experienced using standards associated with The Joint Commission, the Utilization Review Accreditation Committee (URAC), the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), and the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. Ms. Williams is also experienced with the implementation of Quality Improvement in Managed Care and Health Maintenance Organizations and is familiar with the requirements associated with Medicare/Medicaid and Medicare Advantage programs. She has served as an expert witness in the area of child abuse and neglect and has performed Community Quality Service Reviews for Child Welfare programs. Ms. Williams has knowledge of the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDISÒ), the Experience of Care and Health Outcomes Survey instruments, and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems. She also is proficient in the management of clinical and administrative appeals, complaints, quality improvement projects, and retrospective reviews.
Ms. Williams holds a B.A. in English and History from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Social Work from Howard University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Research Associate
Job Titles:
- Research Associate
- Project Manager for Several Projects
Ms. Grace Hong is a Research Associate at Optimal Solutions Group. Ms. Hong has served as the project manager for several projects at Optimal. In her role as the project manager and research associate for the Drug Testing in Washington D.C. Project Phase I and Phase II, she led the development of models predicting drug testing outcomes for probationers and parolees under the supervision of Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency for the District of Columbia. Ms Hong and her team analyzed testing results of five types of illicit drugs and alcohol collected over approximately two years, and studied the risk profiles of drug users and spells of drug use. Additionally, Ms. Hong has just finished a project commissioned by Jobs for the Future, where she analyzed data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey (NELS) to examine the postsecondary education experience of youth with low socioeconomic status. Currently, Ms Hong is analyzing data retrieved from several sources, including CDC's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Maryland birth and death certificates, and the Census data to assess the cost effectiveness of smoking prevention and cessation programs sponsored by the Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund.
Ms. Hong's past experience includes work at the University of Maryland, and Baltimore County's Department of Public Policy, where she was on the evaluation teams of the Maryland Guardianship Assistance Project and the Maryland Child Welfare Managed Care Demonstration Evaluation Project. She analyzed administrative records maintained by the Maryland Department of Human Resources and evaluated the effects of a guardianship subsidy on exit types and placement stability for children in relative foster care using various multivariate techniques including Poisson and Negative Binomial models and survival analyses. She also examined the efficacy of a managed care approach to child welfare services. Ms. Hong has experience in data management and analyzing large data sets. She is proficient at several statistical software packages, including SAS, STATA, and SPSS.
Ms. Hong received a Master's in Public Policy from University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2002 and a Ph.D. degree in public policy from University of Maryland Baltimore County in December 2006.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Research Associate
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Research Fellow
- Senior Research Fellow With
Dr. Fashola is a Senior Research Fellow with Optimal Solutions Group, and an Adjunct Research Scientist and Faculty Associate at the Johns Hopkins University. She has served as Principal Investigator, evaluator, and advisor for several programs and program evaluations across the country. Prior to joining the Optimal Solutions Group, Dr. Fashola was the Research Director of the Comprehensive School Reform Center at the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where she was primarily responsible for the evaluation and production of AIR Reports. This work involved reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of K-12 programs. Dr. Fashola was also involved in the National Longitudinal Study of the No Child Left Behind act (NLS-NCLB) and served as a Senior Content Advisor for the What Works Clearinghouse, in the area of High School Dropouts. Dr. Fashola has also served on panels to reputable organizations such as the U.S. Department of Education's IES and the National Academy of Science's Committee on Research in Education, and the National Science Foundation. Her more recent work addresses education of African American Males, afterschool programs, schoolwide reform, and program evaluation and rigorous research in general and special education. Her work has been featured on National Public Radio (NPR) and on Public Broadcasting Services (PBS). She has served as an Expert Witness in the area of desegregation, and she currently serves on the National Education Steering Committee of the Campbell Collaboration, an international methods organization dedicated to conducting systematic reviews of academic and social science research. She also serves as a National Advisor to the Boys and Girls Club of America. Dr. Fashola has served as author and editor of several books, including "Show Me the Evidence! Proven and Promisiong Programs for America's Schools, Building Effective Afterschool Programs, and Educating African Amercan Males: Voices From the Field." She has also served as an author of book chapters in "Educating African American Males: Voices From the Field, and Effective Programs for Latino Students." She has also authored and co-authored several journal articles. Her areas of interest include Reading, Early Childhood Education, Data Driven Decision Making, Afterschool Programs, High School Dropouts, Emergent and adolescent literacy, and Research Methods.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Business Analyst
Job Titles:
- Human Resources Director
- Member of the Corporate and Senior Management Team
- Member of the Information Management Team
Job Titles:
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Research Associate
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Member of the Information Management Team
- Senior Associate
- Associate in the Health Policy Research Center
Ruth Sherman is an Associate in the Health Policy Research Center at Optimal Solutions Group, LLC (Optimal). At Optimal, Ms. Sherman provides subject matter expertise and technical assistance for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS) Program Integrity Manual (PIM) project.
Ms. Sherman has previous experience in financial audits, being responsible for teams of CPAs while they conducted onsite audits of various Medicare facilities. She has successfully developed new audit programs as well as new formats for the audit process and participated in peer reviews of compliance and financial audits.
Ms. Sherman's financial experience has been focused on insurance companies as well as on Medicare programs. Ms. Sherman has conducted compliance and financial audits of eighteen Medicare Prescription Drug Discount Card Sponsors as Lead Auditor under the Prescription Discount Drug Card-Transitional Assistance program. She also completed an internal analysis of implementation and executions of Statement of Work requirements for the Medicare Prescription Drug Card program.
Ms. Sherman holds a M.B.A. with an emphasis on accounting from Bellevue University and is a candidate for C.P.A.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Consultant
Job Titles:
- Senior Research Consultant
Job Titles:
- Chief Operating Officer
- Executive Vice President
- Member of the Corporate and Senior Management Team
- Director & Principal Associate / Administration
Tracye Turner is Optimal's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. She has strategic and daily oversight responsibilities for several departments including Information Technology (IT), the Administrative Logistics Support Services Department (ALSSD) and Communications.
The IT department operates within a cloud computing environment. Some of her responsibilities include vendor management, security, HIPAA compliancy, help desk, client Data Use Agreements, Web development and the integration of real-time systems into research applications. ALSSD provides services to internal and external clients consisting primarily of federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Some of the services provided include the planning, management and support of national conferences, grant competitions, workshops and trainings. For the Communications Department, she supervises staff in the areas of public and corporate relations, publications, Web- and graphics-related products, editing, and quality control.
Prior to Optimal, Ms. Turner managed federal, civilian, and commercial departments at Northrop Grumman Information Technology (NGIT) where she led 21 employees and was accountable for an annual profit and loss of $100M+. During that time, she gained extensive experience working with many federal agencies at the program and CIO levels such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Smithsonian Institution, and with the Department of Labor, while leading implementations at an enterprise level for security, VoIP integration and management, storage management, and networking challenges. She developed, organized and conducted numerous informational seminars, workshops and focus groups on the integration of state-of-the-art technologies for federal agencies, hospitals and commercial businesses, which consistently led to successfully planned implementations. While at NGIT, Ms. Turner received numerous awards and certifications for her efforts that provided comprehensive approaches to complex program-related information technology challenges.
Job Titles:
- Office Services Coordinator