Core Team
Lynne Cannady, MS, has conducted evaluation research since 1978. Her experience includes both survey and evaluation research, needs assessment, and strategic planning for government agencies, community based organizations, and private foundations. Her work has focused on evaluations of prevention and innovative program initiatives that address: child abuse and neglect; domestic violence; tobacco use; foster care and adoptions; teen pregnancy; high risk youth; juvenile delinquency; alcohol and drug abuse; HIV/AIDS service needs; community based collaborations; and systems change. Ms. Cannady is an advocate for capacity building among client organizations and for her own staff and associates. She also conducts training and technical assistance in evaluation and strategic planning.
Charles de Watteville, MSW, MDiv, has been the Data Systems Manager at LPC since 1997. He has over twenty years of experience creating and utilizing databases for program and project management, data analysis, and research evaluation. He specializes in developing practical user-friendly databases for client and staff use while providing support, technical assistance, training, and user manuals and protocols in order to build client capacity to use and manage data. In addition to his computer expertise, Mr. de Watteville’s experience includes management, consulting, lecturing, and group facilitating for businesses, non-profits, and faith and community based settings.
Tracey Kranhold Weld, MS, Project Manager and Research Analyst, joined LPC in 2001. During her tenure, she has managed evaluation studies for school-based programs, HIV/AIDS prevention programs, alcohol, tobacco and drug prevention and intervention programs, mentoring and youth development programs and teen pregnancy prevention programs. Ms. Weld works closely with clients to develop and streamline data collection, utilizing web-based data collection techniques and collaboration with LPC’s Data Systems Manager. She incorporates both quantitative and qualitative data analysis into her reporting and presents findings in useful methods, either through funder-mandated report formats, narrative reports, presentation formats, or newsletters. Ms. Weld provides leadership in the area of graphic design, desktop publishing, and presentation of findings for clients. Ms. Weld came to LPC after working in the nonprofit sector for 14 years in supervision and project management for agencies working with youth, family planning and tobacco prevention.
Allison Burke, Project Manager, joined LPC Consulting in 2006. At LPC, Ms. Burke manages multiple evaluation studies related to youth development and leadership, training and technical assistance, tobacco use prevention, and strategic planning. Ms. Burke has also supported evaluation studies related to domestic violence, foster youth services, child abuse prevention, and agency redesign. She is experienced working with clients in many levels of evaluation research including, but not limited to: data collection instrument development, data collection protocol training, conducting focus groups and interviews with diverse populations, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, database development, and presenting data in narrative and visual report formats. Ms. Burke brings a background in sociology, elementary education, and foster family services to her work at LPC Consulting.
Emily Flitsch, Research Assistant, rejoined the LPC team in 2007. Ms. Flitsch previously worked at LPC as a Data Assistant from 2003-2005, where her responsibilities included scoring school readiness assessments for Partners for Readiness and performing data entry. Additionally, Ms. Flitsch worked closely with YouthWorks, visiting the after school program to administer surveys and speak with students about life after high school. Ms. Flitsch returned to LPC with increased experience, including computer and human resource skills. Her skills include: database development, research, data analysis, and qualitative analysis. She is responsible for creating monthly Birth & Beyond data reports, assisting the Data Systems Manager in database development, administering assessments to youth in afterschool programs, and providing general support. Ms. Flitsch has a BA in Child Development with a concentration in Social and Community Settings and will begin pursuit of an MA in School Psychology in August 2011.
Marbella Alford, Administrative Assistant, recently joined the LPC team. Ms. Alford’s responsibilities have included monitoring and posting community events on a community development social network site, performing data entry, scheduling meetings, answering and directing telephone calls, and providing general administrative support for LPC. Ms. Alford joined the staff after relocating to Sacramento from Hawaii. She has a background in office work and therapeutic foster parenting.
Consulting Associates
Tina Robilliard, Consulting Associate, joined the LPC team in 2005. Her experience includes the qualitative and quantitative evaluation of governance, performance management and strategic planning processes in government agencies as well as the evaluation of government programs. Currently, Ms. Robilliard is a Senior Advisor for New Zealand’s child protective service Child, Youth and Family and is involved in a variety of projects including differential responses, taking forward the permanency policy for the organization, support to caregivers and working on issues relating to methamphetamine in families and households with children. Ms. Robilliard also has experience in IT change management and before coming to LPC was involved in the implementation and training for a re-design of the child welfare service case management system in New Zealand.
Michele McGibbon, Consulting Associate, has conducted evaluation research with LPC since 2001. She applies ten years of experience in research and data analysis in marketing research and the study of advanced Sociology to bring both quality and practicality to program evaluation. Ms. McGibbon’s experience with LPC includes designing, coordinating, and implementing studies and conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the area of child abuse and neglect fatalities, SIDS, and redesigning the Child Welfare System. Other work with LPC includes evaluation studies of various prevention initiatives dealing with foster youth permanency, adoption services, school readiness, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, juvenile delinquency, domestic violence, disaster preparedness, and tobacco control.
Carol Casaday, MBA, Consulting Associate, joined LPC in 2009 after leaving The California Endowment as a Program Officer. LPC and Ms. Casaday have coauthored proposals and worked together on a variety of projects since 2001, when she was the Executive Director for Chemical Dependency Center for Women. Ms. Casaday brings a wealth of knowledge, having worked with private organizations, public agencies, school districts and private foundations. She has direct experience with substance abuse treatment, as well as experience in designing and implementing needs assessments, community, and special population surveys; conducting research for public health agencies and community based organizations; and editing and writing strategic plans, research reports, funding applications, and annual reports for public and private organizations. Ms. Casaday’s work includes improving access to health services; developing prevention strategies; conducting advocacy to support policy and systems change; and working with children’s mental health, family support services, community health planning, education, resident engagement, child abuse prevention, youth violence prevention.
Miriam Houghton is President of EXPRESSIONS (Grant Writing, Consulting, and Training), based in Sacramento, California. Miriam has written and edited more than 1,010 proposals and supporting document packages and reviewed several hundred more. Her work over the last 25 years has resulted in revenue for her clients and employers now totaling more than $95 million. She works all over California and in other states with non-profit organizations, public agencies, and businesses. Miriam has worked in a wide variety of program areas, including healthcare (physical and mental health); education; criminal justice; programs for the disabled and the aging; programs of all types for the economically disadvantaged; domestic violence; the arts; humanities; environmental issues; and microenterprise programs. She has provided training workshops for the Nonprofit Resource Center in Sacramento for the past 20 years, and she regularly makes training presentations at national conventions and for her clients. Miriam has been an active member of the National Association of Fundraising Professionals member for 20 years. She has served as a member of the Board of the the Association of Fundraising Professionals” Sacramento Chapter and she Co-Chaired the Professional Development/Program Committee. Miriam’s grant writing work and her experience with focused and well-received grant writing workshops also provide the ideal experience for learning how to get started or how to make proposal preparation easier. She has trained more than 4,700 people to help them ensure they meet funders’ specific, mandatory requirements for grant proposal submissions and competitive. Miriam says, “It doesn’t have to be as hard as you think it is – you really can remain sane!”
