EVIDENT CHANGE - Key Persons
Prior to joining Evident Change, Alexa worked in public health, addressing food insecurity at Swipe Out Hunger, a national nonprofit focused on basic needs access among college students. She also worked in cancer prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, studying health inequities in populations of women of color.
Alexa has a BA in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master's degree in public health with a focus on maternal and child health from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Pronouns: she, her
Anna has been working in social services since 2010. She held several positions with the Arkansas Department of Human Services, including family service worker, developmental disabilities services waiver specialist, and county supervisor. Most recently, Anna was an SOP coach at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, where she trained child welfare staff on the SDM® safety and risk assessments.
Anna holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of the Ozarks and is certified in mental health first aid.
Pronouns: she, her
Job Titles:
- Acting Director, Open Society Institute - Baltimore 's Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program ( Ret. )
Aurie Hall was acting director of the Open Society Institute-Baltimore's Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program from January through June of 2018. Previously, Hall was the founding director of OSI-Baltimore's Criminal and Juvenile Justice Program, creating, funding, and implementing strategies to advocate for reducing incarceration and recidivism and ending the school-to-prison pipeline. In that role, which she served from 1998 to 2007, Ms. Hall built a cohort of advocates and providers that resulted in significant statewide policy changes in Maryland. Prior to that, Ms. Hall was a staff attorney with DC Prisoners' Project, where she litigated individual and class action civil rights cases on behalf of persons incarcerated by the District of Columbia. Ms. Hall brought novel cases in a prison context, including HIV/AIDS discrimination, race discrimination in the provision of medical care, and violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act. She was a teaching fellow in the Criminal Justice Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center and a staff fellow at the American Civil Liberties Union's Reproductive Freedom Project.
Until recently, Ms. Hall sat on the board of City First Enterprises, a mission-driven, nonprofit holding company of City First Bank, a community development bank that has deployed over $1 billion to expand economic opportunity and affordable housing for low- and moderate-income citizens in the Washington, DC, area. In addition, Ms. Hall is an artist whose work is regularly featured in gallery shows and is held in public and private collections. She received a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center, a JD from Northeastern University School of Law, and a BA from Davidson College.
Job Titles:
- Researcher
- Role of Researcher in March 2020 After Working
Bertha Arvizo transitioned to the role of researcher in March 2020 after working at Evident Change as an intern for three semesters. Bertha graduated from Arizona State University with an MA in sociology and holds a BA in sociology and a BS in criminal justice from California State University, East Bay. She specializes in qualitative methods and provides an intersectional lens to data analysis.
Job Titles:
- Director of Research
- Board Member Emeritus )
Chris Baird retired from Evident Change as director of research in the organization's Madison, Wisconsin, office at the end of 2012. Prior to serving in that role, Mr. Baird was executive vice president from 1985 to 2011. He has designed risk assessment, classification, and case management systems for child welfare, adult probation and parole, and juvenile justice systems. He developed and managed the National Institute of Corrections Model Probation and Parole program, which was implemented in 31 state agencies and hundreds of county probation departments throughout the United States. Mr. Baird served as principal investigator on several grants from the National Institute of Justice, including a comprehensive evaluation of the Florida Community Control Program. He served as a consultant to Annie E. Casey's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative and designed several detention screening instruments. From 1990 to 1997, he directed the former Children's Research Center, which has developed risk assessment and decision-making systems used in child protective services (CPS) by more than 50 state and county agencies in the United States, Australia, and Canada. Mr. Baird and colleagues wrote a comprehensive evaluation of the decision-making system in Michigan, assessing its impact on subsequent abuse and neglect. He directed and authored a national study funded by the Office of Child Abuse and Neglect that compared CPS risk assessment systems in four jurisdictions and a national study funded by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention comparing the validity and reliability of risk assessments commonly used by juvenile justice systems.
Mr. Baird has authored numerous journal articles and other publications on research, program development, and management issues in child welfare, juvenile justice, and corrections. In 1992 he received the University of Cincinnati Award from the American Probation and Parole Association for outstanding research contributions to the field. In 2001, he and colleague Dennis Wagner received the Pro Humanitate Literary Award for The Relative Validity of Actuarial and Consensus-Based Risk Assessment Systems from the North American Resource Center for Child Welfare. In 2004 he received the Grace B. Flandreau Award for his contributions to child welfare. His educational background includes a master's degree in economics.
Job Titles:
- Independent Consultant
- President of Generative Consulting Partners
Dawn Holden Woods is president of Generative Consulting Partners (GCP), a consulting firm established to help social sector partners design authentic, people-centered solutions to ensure individuals and organizations reach their full potential. Before forming GCP, she served as chief executive officer of Turning Points for Children and the chief social services officer of Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC), a regional nonprofit public health institute committed to building communities through partnerships with government, foundations, and community-based organizations. She was responsible for overseeing 1,000 employees and a $100M budget, playing a critical role in defining PHMC's service delivery strategy. In addition, Dawn is a recognized leader with a track record of developing innovative solutions to maximize brand identity, engagement, and social impact through strategic planning.
Dawn serves on the board of directors of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Center for Health Care Strategies, the Committee of Seventy, Evident Change, and the National Nurse-Led Care Consortium.
Dawn graduated with her bachelor's in accounting from Lincoln University of Pennsylvania and a master's in public administration from the University of Pennsylvania.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of MDFT International
- Master Trainer of MDFT
- Principal Investigator or Co - Investigator
Dr. Gayle Dakof is the executive director of MDFT International, a nonprofit focused on improving the lives of families by providing training and consultation in the implementation of three evidence-based behavioral interventions: Multidimensional Family Therapy (MDFT), Multidimensional Family Recovery (MDFR), and Multidimensional Family Therapy and Recovery (MDFTR). These interventions are being successfully implemented and sustained in numerous sites throughout the United States and Europe.
Dakof has been a principal investigator or co-investigator on numerous research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, is an author on over 60 publications, and maintains a faculty position at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She received her doctorate in psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. Dakof is a scientist-practitioner specializing in the development and testing of family-based interventions directed toward preventing and treating substance misuse, mental health challenges, child maltreatment, delinquency, and criminality.
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Distinguished Professor of Business at the Raymond a. Mason School of Business
Dr. Monica Chiarini Tremblay is the Dorman Family Distinguished Professor of Business at the Raymond A. Mason School of Business, College of William and Mary. She is an accomplished college professor, researcher, and industry professional with a global perspective. As an expat during her formative years, she developed a deep appreciation for diverse cultures and a broad understanding of the world. Holding dual citizenship in Italy and the US, she brings a unique multicultural perspective to her work and interactions. Dr. Tremblay is fluent in Italian, Spanish, and English. Her proficiency also extends to French and Portuguese.
Dr. Tremblay holds a PhD and master's degree in business from the University of South Florida, along with a bachelor of science in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Florida. Before entering academia, Dr. Tremblay gained industry experience through her work for ExxonMobil as a systems analyst and engineer. This practical background influenced her research interests and continues to enrich her teaching methodologies, providing her students with valuable insights into real-world applications.
Dr. Tremblay's research contributions have been recognized through her publications in premier academic journals such as MIS Quarterly, Journal of the AIS, Journal of American Medical Informatics Association, Decision Sciences, Decision Support Systems, European Journal of Information Systems, ACM Journal of Data and Information Quality, and Communications of the AIS. Her research focuses on business analytics and design science research, particularly in health care and government. She is currently working on several projects examining the role of digital technologies in delivering social justice, and Dr. Tremblay has also been invited as a speaker and presenter at national and international conferences. Dr. Tremblay has been actively involved in grant management, having served as the principal investigator on several federal, state, and private grants in health information technology. Her expertise in this area led to her inclusion as a study session member for the health information technology section of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Job Titles:
- Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.a., Partner
- Member of Leadership Florida 's Cornerstone XXXVII
After leading several child welfare and human services organizations over the past two decades, Frances P. Allegra joined the law firm of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. as a partner. An accomplished attorney, nonprofit executive, and foster care expert, Ms. Allegra led foster care case management organizations and distinguished herself as an early leader in Florida's community‑based care (CRC) child welfare model, leading one of Florida's largest CBCs, Our Kids of Miami‑Dade/Monroe, Inc., for a decade. Subsequently, she was the founding president of the SEED School of Miami, Florida's only urban public boarding school. Working alongside state and national child welfare leaders, Ms. Allegra has been instrumental in the success of Florida's innovative and groundbreaking approach to child protection. By joining Cole, Scott & Kissane, Ms. Allegra continues her work and dedication by defending the nonprofit organizations on the front lines of Florida's child welfare system. Additionally, Ms. Allegra is dedicated to defending private and public education institutions in claims brought against them.
Ms. Allegra is one of Florida's instrumental voices regarding the legal issues facing foster care and education entities, and she has received numerous honors and awards, including the Angel in Adoption Award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute in Washington, DC. Under her leadership, Our Kids was an IDG Computerworld Honors Laureate, received Intel's Premier IT Knowledge Award in the Client Fleet Management category, and received the Mobilizer Award in field service from Mobile Enterprise Magazine. During her tenure as CEO of Our Kids, she led the organization's efforts in creating groundbreaking statewide legislative changes in the Florida child welfare system. As a result, then-Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio included Our Kids in his book 100 Innovative Ideas for Florida's Future as Idea #68. Ms. Allegra was tapped by Governor-Elect Rick Scott to serve on the Children and Families Subcommittee of the Health and Human Services transition team.
Ms. Allegra is admitted to practice law in the state of Florida, as well as before the US Supreme Court, the US Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, and the US District Court for the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida. She received her juris doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey, and her bachelor of arts from Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. She received her master of science in health informatics and management systems from Florida International University, Chapman Graduate School of Business, where she received the award for having the highest GPA.
Ms. Allegra is a member of Leadership Florida's Cornerstone XXXVII class.
After leading several child welfare and human services organizations over the past two decades, Frances P. Allegra joined the law firm of Cole, Scott & Kissane, P.A. as a partner. An accomplished attorney, nonprofit executive, and foster care expert, Ms. Allegra led foster care case management organizations an...
Job Titles:
- Circuit Judge, Dependency and Criminal Drug Court Divisions, Miami - Dade County, Florida
Jeri Beth Cohen recently retired from her role as a circuit judge in the Dependency and Criminal Drug Court Divisions in Miami-Dade County, Florida. She received her bachelor of arts degree at Boston University, her master of arts degree at Harvard University, and her juris doctorate at Georgetown University Law Center. While Cohen has presided in several divisions of the county and circuit courts since 1992, her primary assignment and true passion is in the Dependency Division of the Juvenile Court. Cohen has used her experience in the areas of substance abuse, mental health, early childhood development, and trauma to create an innovative approach to the treatment of addiction in both the criminal and dependency drug courts.
In 1999, Cohen established the first Dependency Drug Court in Miami and one of the first in the nation. The Miami Dependency Drug Court serves as a Family Drug Court Peer Learning Court for Children and Family Futures and the National Family Drug Court Training and Technical Assistance program. It continues to be recognized as an exemplary court. Cohen's strong belief in treatment courts and the unique role the judiciary and community partners play in protecting children from abuse and neglect is what defines her. Starting in 2013, Cohen also presided over the Miami-Dade County Adult Criminal Drug Court, where she incorporated family-centered interventions in her work with defendants.
Cohen has been very influential in integrating child welfare with behavioral health in Miami-Dade County, and she is nationally recognized as an expert on issues relating to child welfare, substance abuse, and mental health. She has worked on a national level with the Department of Justice and the National Drug Court Institute to develop curricula and train drug courts across the country.
Cohen previously served on the Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals and the board of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals and the executive committee of the South Florida Behavioral Health Network. She is a past chair of the Statewide Court Improvement Project, responsible for bringing state dependency courts into compliance with federal child welfare requirements. Serving in this capacity for four years, Cohen set up the statewide Model Court program for Florida and the Florida Dependency Bench book. Currently, she chairs the Women's Emergency Network, providing funding for individuals needing reproductive health care; and serves on the board of the University of Miami/Holtz Children's Hospital Pediatric Bioethics Committee.
Jess Abercrombie joined Evident Change in 2021, bringing more than seven years' experience working in research and evaluation. Previous work includes the UUHEALTH project that focused on improving cultural competency and diversity within the healthcare workforce in Cincinnati; building evaluation tools for a Honolulu-based nonprofit that provides social services for low-income, Native Hawaiian families; and master's thesis research on cultural preservation practices in Thailand.
Jess received their master of community planning from the University of Cincinnati in 2016 and a BS in urban planning and policy from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2014.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Ex Officio Member of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Board of Directors of the American Public Human Services Association
As CEO, Kathy Park serves as an Ex Officio member of the Board of Directors and provides strategic vision to Evident Change while overseeing programmatic and organizational operations. Kathy has led key initiatives including Data for Equity, ethics in predictive analytics, and Pay for Success and Social Innovation Finance projects.
Kathy joined Evident Change in 2000. She has worked throughout her tenure in partnership with numerous state and local social services agencies across the United States and internationally to transform child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult protective services systems through an infusion of research-based and data-driven approaches to decision making.
Kathy came into the field of social justice out of a desire to prevent youth from escalating within and across the child welfare, juvenile justice, and adult corrections systems. She began working as a child protective services frontline investigator with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. She went on to do ongoing family preservation work, supervise a blended child and adult protection unit, and work at the state's protective services policy unit.
Kathy is a member of the board of directors of the American Public Human Services Association and a member of the Child Welfare League of America's Racial Equity Committee. She also serves as a LEAP Ambassador. Kathy has served on peer review panels for the National Institute of Justice and the Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect, as a board member for the Wisconsin Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, and as a mentor for the Boys and Girls Club.
Kathy is a 2016 Aspen Ideas Scholar and the recipient of the 2011 Rosalie S. Wolf Memorial Award from the National Adult Protective Services Association given in recognition of a significant contribution to the knowledge and development in the fields of elder abuse or persons with disabilities. Her writing has appeared in Juvenile Justice Information Exchange, The Crime Report, Wisconsin State Journal, Chronicle of Social Change, Cap Times, and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Kathy has spoken and presented for organizations including the American Association of Health and Human Services Attorneys, American Public Human Services Association, Data for Impact, MetroLab Network, Alliance for Racial Equity in Child Welfare, Coalition for Juvenile Justice, Operation New Hope, #cut50, Ford Foundation, Social Innovation Fund, and Third Sector Capital Partners.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- President and Chief Executive Officer of Equal Measure
Leon T. Andrews Jr. is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Equal Measure, which works to advance social change by partnering with foundations and nonprofits to apply new ways of thinking. Previously, Mr. Andrews served as the inaugural director for Race, Equity and Leadership (REAL) at the National League of Cities and currently serves as chair of the board for the National Recreation and Parks Association. Prior to directing REAL, beginning in 2006, Mr. Andrews served as the senior fellow and program director at the National League of Cities' Institute for Youth, Education, and Families, where he led the institute's youth development work with mayors and other municipal leaders around the country, including work related to childhood obesity, disconnected youth, youth engagement and leadership, and youth master planning. Before joining the National League of Cities, Mr. Andrews completed a research fellowship at The Forum for Youth Investment.
Mr. Andrews has an extensive, 25-year background working in government, the community, the private sector, and academia, including the US Department of Justice, US Senator Barbara A. Mikulski's office, the United States Public Interest Research Group, the Allegheny County Department of Human Services, YouthBuild Pittsburgh, the Development Corporation of Columbia Heights, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and as an adjunct professor in the Department of Political Science at Eastern Michigan University. He is a published author, has presented at several conferences and other forums throughout the country and world, and serves on a number of national and local boards, including ChangeLab Solutions (chair) and the National Network for Youth. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Howard University and a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University, and he is a PhD candidate in the Urban and Regional Planning program at the University of Michigan. Mr. Andrews has been married to an amazing woman, Dr. Kristine M. Andrews, for the last 15 years and they have three beautiful daughters-Jessica Austin, Julia Iris, and Joanna Jonas.
Mariana Bass joined Evident Change in 2014. From 2018 to 2020 she worked at Epic Systems as part of the MyChart technical services team and was the lead for the analytics and reporting workgroup. Mari was thrilled to return to the SafeMeasures analytics team at Evident Change in 2020. Mari has a bachelor's degree in sociology with a concentration in analysis and research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Job Titles:
- Retired As Executive Director, Center for Children 's Law and Policy
Mark Soler recently retired from his role as executive director of the Center for Children's Law and Policy (CCLP), a public interest law and policy organization in Washington, DC. He spent more than 35 years working on juvenile justice reform throughout the country, first at the Youth Law Center and beginning in 2006, at the CCLP. While at the Youth Law Center, Mr. Soler worked on federal and state civil rights class action litigation over conditions of juvenile confinement in more than a dozen states. He also directed Building Blocks for Youth, a multi-state, multi-strategy initiative to reduce overrepresentation and racial and ethnic disparities affecting youth of color in the justice system. He oversaw efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation's Models for Change initiative, including the DMC Action Network. He has been a part of the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative since its inception in 1992. Mr. Soler led Stop Solitary for Kids, a national campaign to end solitary confinement of youth in the justice system, and has written more than 20 articles and book chapters on civil rights issues and the rights of children.
Mr. Soler has taught at Boston College Law School, the Washington College of Law at American University, Boston University School of Law, the University of Nebraska Law School, and San Francisco State University. He has received awards for his work from the American Psychological Association, American Bar Association, Alliance for Juvenile Justice, and Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Mr. Soler graduated from Yale University and Yale Law School.
Prior to joining Evident Change, Matthew Barrix worked at a number of roles in software development at both small and large companies and in a wide span of industries and environments, including HIPAA and FERPA. He worked with both international and countrywide domestic clients in a .NET across a number of different data structures.
Job Titles:
- Board Member Emeritus )
- Member of Evident Change 's Board of Directors
- Senior Consultant With Applied Strategy Associates
Paul S. Castro serves as senior consultant with Applied Strategy Associates, specializing in executive coaching, organizational development, and interim executive services. In 2018, Castro retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of Jewish Family Service of Los Angeles (JFS), a multi-faceted, multi‑service social service organization serving more than 100,000 individuals and families annually throughout Los Angeles. Before becoming President and CEO in 2000, he held several leadership positions at JFS during his almost four decades of service, including chief financial officer and associate executive director. In these positions, he used his strategic insight and business judgment to help grow and manage the day-to-day operations of JFS to its current $35 million annual budget.
An active member of the national and regional nonprofit community, Castro is an emeritus member of Evident Change's board of directors and has served on the boards of Families International, the Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies (AJFCA), and the California Jewish Public Affairs Committee (JPAC). Castro is a past chair of the board of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, a former board member of the Alliance for Families and Strong Communities, a member of the Nonprofit Finance Fund Healthy Outcomes Initiative Advisory Group, and a member of the Community Advisory Board of the Los Angeles Community Academic Partnership for Research in Aging (LA CAPRA).
In 2016, Castro was invited to participate in a convening of 60 health and social sector leaders at the Clinton Global Initiative America to discuss the opportunities and barriers to partnership in the age of value-based payments. Subsequently, Castro was invited by the Nonprofit Finance Fund to sit as an advisor to their Healthy Outcomes Initiative.
A native of Los Angeles, Castro has almost 40 years of professional and volunteer experience in the nonprofit sector. He has worked tirelessly throughout his career to further the opportunities for disadvantaged and disenfranchised communities in the areas of social justice, philanthropy and fundraising. In the early 1990s, he led successful efforts to establish the United Latino Fund, a philanthropic organization which raises and distributes dollars to organizations serving the Los Angeles Latino community. In addition, he has effectively advocated for services for the most vulnerable members of the community at the local, state, and federal level.
Castro has served as adjunct faculty at the American Jewish University and Hebrew Union College graduate programs in nonprofit management, teaching and mentoring future nonprofit leaders in the areas of governance, advocacy, civic engagement, and ethics. Castro graduated from California State University at Fullerton with a BA in ethnic studies and holds a juris doctorate from Loyola Law School.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Team
Kouzehkanani was a visiting professor at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, between 2000 and 2008 and has conducted multiple speaking engagements on various topics such as health and human services horizontal integration, child welfare systems and interoperability, and cybersecurity.
Ramin Kouzehkanani is a member of the executive team and the Chief Information and Innovation Administrator at Hillsborough County government in Tampa, Florida. He previously served as the Chief Deputy of Strategic Planning and Technology at the Clerk and Comptroller of Florida's 13th Judicial Circuit. Kouzehkanani also served as Chief Information Officer and Assistant Secretary at the Florida Department of Children and Families, and was Acting Deputy Secretary in the administrations of Governors Charlie Crist and Rick Scott. Prior to his work with the state of Florida, Kouzehkanani was Executive Vice president at Genuity Group, LLC, and was responsible for the consulting firm's government and health care verticals. During his service, he has consistently held dual roles as Chief Information Officer and Chief Information Security Officer.
Kouzehkanani served as senior advisor to Assistant Secretary George Sheldon at the Administration for Children & Families (a division of the US Department of Health and Human Services), the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services, and the Florida Department of Children and Families and its community-based care agencies. He currently serves as principal advisor to national health and human services agencies on the implementation of federal rules through the establishment of strategic roadmaps for interoperability of data systems and processes, data exchanges, and statistical modeling in child welfare and human services.
Recognized nationally as an authority in the public health management arena, Richard J. Cohen, PhD, FACHE, is the president and CEO of the Public Health Fund, subsidiary of the Public Health Management Corporation. Prior to holding this role, Cohen served as president and CEO of Public Health Management Corporation from 1980 until 2023. In this this time, Dr. Cohen led the organization's expansion to more than 4,500 staff and an operating budget of nearly $500 million. Cohen's more than 30 publications and conference presentations get to the heart of public health dilemmas, with insight into the marketing of human services, developing leadership, establishing public/private partnerships, assessing long-term versus short-term costs, understanding hospital utilization patterns, and many other critical topics. Cohen has held leadership roles in many distinguished health organizations that include the American Public Health Association (Governing Council), the Alliance of Children and Families (past Chair for prior parent organization), Evident Change (past Board Chair, Executive Committee), the Pennsylvania Public Health Association (past President), the College of Physicians of Philadelphia (Trustee), and the American College of Health Care Executives (past Regent). He is the recipient of numerous awards from groups as wide‑ranging as local community alliances and national institutions. He has received numerous awards and holds academic appointments at Philadelphia schools including Drexel University School of Public Health, Jefferson Medical College Department of Health Policy, Jefferson School of Population Health, Hahnemann Medical College and Hospital, and Temple University. Cohen holds a PhD in social sciences/psychiatry from Medical College of Pennsylvania, an MA in clinical psychology from Temple University, and a BA in psychology from University of Maine.
Stanley Aviles joined Evident Change in 2023. He previously worked as an escalations resolution specialist for Wells Fargo where he offered client support, performed risk assessments for escalations, and assisted in process improvement initiatives.
He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science at Western Governors University.
Pronouns: he/him
Steven Bandes became a SafeMeasures data analyst in 2014. He previously worked as a software test engineer at Epic and as an English teacher in China's Zhejiang province. Steven earned his BS in physics in 2012 from the University of Rochester in New York.
Tarek Tomes serves as the commissioner of Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) and the State of Minnesota's chief information officer (CIO), leading state efforts to provide the best possible IT solutions and customer service to the people of Minnesota and its business partners.
As a recognized industry leader, Tomes brings more than 25 years of experience in managing technology innovation across diverse industries, whether national or international, public or private sector. Throughout his career, he has facilitated data-driven decision making, implemented many critical enterprise projects, and improved workforce diversity and inclusion.
Before becoming commissioner, Tomes served as the chief innovation officer and chief information officer for the City of St. Paul, where he was responsible for managing ongoing process improvements, supporting human-centered design, and increasing the overall effectiveness of city services and resources. While in St. Paul, Tomes facilitated a digital transformation at the city level, pioneering the use of mobile applications to improve resident opportunities. This work allowed the city to leverage deep data insights while promoting and supporting equitable service delivery. During his time as St. Paul's chief information officer, Tomes oversaw the launch of St. Paul's Open Information Portal, which serves to promote and encourage innovative uses of data and transparency in government services.
Tomes's prior work experience also includes six years as assistant commissioner of Minnesota IT Services, where he created several nation-leading IT sourcing agreements for more than 33,000 user utility services statewide-including the first cloud-based public sector statewide service offering in the nation. While Tomes was serving in this role, Minnesota became the first state in the country to manage all IT through service-level agreements, a model that was recognized with a national award. Before joining state service, Tomes spent 13 years working for British Telecom.
Tomes received his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and attended graduate school for business management at Boston University.
Prior to joining Evident Change, Terri Baker worked for the Arkansas Department of Children and Families for more than 20 years in investigations, case management, and placements, and as a developmental disabilities specialist; she spent the last 10 years as a TDM facilitator in Area IV.
Terri holds a BA in social work, is a licensed social worker in Arkansas, and has a master's in public administration.
Pronouns: she/her
Theron Bowman began his law enforcement career in 1983 as an officer with the Arlington [Texas] Police Department, serving in numerous positions before his 1999 appointment to police chief. Most recently, he served as deputy city manager over Arlington's Neighborhood Services before retiring in 2017, and serves as president and CEO of The Bowman Group.
Dr. Bowman led regional public safety efforts for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, MLB World Series games, and Super Bowl XLV. He has led, managed, and participated in police practices investigations and audits in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Battle Creek, Michigan; Los Angeles County, California; Maricopa County, Arizona; Newark, New Jersey; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Seattle, Washington.
Dr. Bowman was recognized by the African American Peace Officer Association of Arlington as the Officer of the Year and received a proclamation of achievement from both the Texas State Senate and the US House of Representatives. He was recognized by the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) as a University Scholar in 1998, received the Outstanding Local Leader Award from the John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute in 2003, and received the Gary P. Hayes Award from the Police Executive Research Forum in 2004. Dr. Bowman has served as chair of the Texas Intelligence Council; commissioner for the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies; and, for more than 10 years, an executive committee member for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
Dr. Bowman received his doctorate degree in urban and public administration from UTA's College of Architecture, Planning, and Public Affairs.
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Toni Aleman, SHRM-SCP, leads all people, operations, and facilities management functions for Evident Change. She has worked with the organization for over 30 years in a variety of capacities, including communications and direction of JAIS and CAIS. She has a BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds a senior certified professional certification from the Society for Human Resource Management.
Pronouns: she, her