Stacy Abder
Cassie Bolanos
Kevin Bolduc
Andrea Brock
Phil Buchanan
Ellie Buteau
Kelly Chang
Alyse d'Amico
John Davidson
Rachel Fagen
Paige Garran
Romero Hayman
Paul Heggarty

Lisa Jackson
Latia King
Greg Laughlin
Joe Lee
Travis Manzione
Rachel Niederman
Alexsandra Ocasio
Judith Ross
Amy Shelton
Kathryn Sherman
Sally Smyth
Valerie Threlfall
Kate Valente

Stacy Abder, Manager - Client Relations, leads relationships with funders who use CEP's assessment tools and advises leaders on issues of funder effectiveness. She oversees the creation and presentation of CEP's assessment tools, focusing especially on west coast funders. Prior to joining CEP in October 2007, Stacy's professional experience included consulting, business development, and client relations at The Chartis Group, Parsons, Beansprout Networks, and work as an independent consultant to Bay Area nonprofits. She co-founded a nonprofit called Law Students for Choice and served as board chair of San Francisco Women Against Rape. Stacy holds an MBA with a concentration in nonprofit strategy from the Yale School of Management and received her undergraduate degree in Social Studies from Harvard College.

Cassie Bolanos, Research Analyst, is primarily involved in CEP's ongoing research on foundation strategy and assistance beyond the grant check. Cassie joined CEP in September 2007. As an undergraduate, Cassie interned at Lawyers for Children, a nonprofit that provides legal and social work advocacy for children in need. Cassie was also awarded an Oscar S. Strauss Fellowship during which she interned at Safe Horizon, a nonprofit that aids victims of domestic violence, where she studied the policy implications of nonprofits that address criminal justice issues. Cassie graduated from Princeton in 2007 with honors and an A.B. in Politics.

Kevin Bolduc, Vice President - Assessment Tools, leads the delivery of CEP's performance assessment tools to funders. He oversees both the design of new tools and refinement of CEP's suite of current assessment offerings. Kevin helped design CEP's groundbreaking Grantee Perception Report^® and Staff Perception Report and has presented them to boards, management and staff of dozens of funders. Kevin also advises CEP's research process. He led phase one of CEP's study of foundation strategy and co-authored the 2007 report, Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy. He is also co-author of a case study on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's approach to performance assessment; CEP's 2004 report, Listening to Grantees: What Nonprofits Value in Their Foundation Funders; and "Luck of the Draw," an article in Stanford Social Innovation Review that explores how grantee experiences are affected by differences in the quality of program officers' performance. Kevin frequently speaks about foundation performance assessment and strategy at national and regional conferences. Prior to joining CEP in September 2001, he was a consultant with The Parthenon Group, a Boston-based strategy consulting firm. He chairs Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy's Greater Boston Steering Committee. Kevin graduated summa cum laude with a BA in Biology from Williams College.

Andrea Brock, Research Analyst, is involved in CEP's ongoing research on foundation strategy and assistance beyond the grant .  Prior to joining CEP in April 2008, Andrea worked as a consultant for a marketing research and consulting firm, Marketing and Planning Systems (MaPS). While at MaPS, Andrea used cutting-edge market research and statistical modeling techniques to provide insight and create solutions for Fortune 500 clients.  She graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2005.  After graduating, she held an internship with a nonprofit organization in Seattle, WA and spent several months travelling throughout South America.

Phil Buchanan is President of CEP and was the first staff member hired in 2001. At CEP, Phil has built a research team, secured funding, developed a research agenda, managed the development and introduction of new performance assessment tools, and authored or co-authored CEP's major research reports. Phil speaks regularly on issues of foundation effectiveness, foundation-grantee relations, foundation governance, and assessment of foundation performance at national and regional gatherings of foundation and nonprofit executives and trustees. He has experience in strategy consulting as a Principal at The Parthenon Group, where he worked with senior executives at a variety of companies to define strategies and assess performance. He also has significant nonprofit management experience at Wesleyan University, where he served as Special Assistant to the President, and Mount Holyoke College, where he was Assistant to the President and Secretary of the College. His writings on education, foundation, and management issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Stanford Social Innovation Review, Alliance Magazine, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among other publications. He is a member of Independent Sector's Ethics and Accountability Committee, serves on the advisory board of Great Nonprofits, and is a member and past president of the Board of Directors of the Children's Center of Lexington. He holds an MBA from Harvard University and received his undergraduate degree in Government from Wesleyan University.

Ellie Buteau, Ph.D., Senior Research Officer, leads CEP's Assistance Beyond the Grant Check research project. She works on the design of all CEP research studies as well as analysis of CEP's data sets related to foundation performance and effectiveness. She is co-author of CEP's 2007 report Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy, the 2007 Stanford Social Innovation Review article, “Luck of the Draw,” CEP's 2006 report, In Search of Impact: Practices and Perceptions in Foundations' Provision of Program and Operating Grants to Nonprofits, and the 2005 report, Beyond Compliance: The Trustee Viewpoint on Effective Foundation Governance. Ellie is an expert in quantitative and qualitative research design and statistical analyses and has lead analyses for research projects at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Tufts University, and a variety of nonprofit organizations. She has taught courses on statistics as an instructor at Tufts University and has been published in a number of journals. She also serves as a reviewer for the Nonprofit and Foundation topical interest group for the American Evaluation Association and as a member of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) dissertation awards committee. Ellie joined CEP in March 2004. She has a PhD in Social-Personality Psychology with a focus on Methodology from City University of New York Graduate Center and a BA from McGill University in Montreal.

Kelly Chang, Senior Research Analyst, is primarily involved in CEP's ongoing research on grantee perceptions of foundations and works extensively on the collection and synthesis of foundation and grantee data. She is also involved in the production and presentation of all of CEP's assessment tools. Kelly joined CEP in August 2006. She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BS in Business Administration. As an undergraduate, Kelly was a product marketing intern at a Bay Area start-up and worked in development at the Center for Asian American Media, a nonprofit organization that promotes Asian American awareness through film and television. Kelly also spent a summer working on a development project in a rural part of Thailand.

Alyse d'Amico, Manager of Programming and Communications, oversees a variety of initiatives and tasks including: CEP's programming aimed at foundation executives and trustees; all CEP communications, marketing, and development materials, including the Web site and CEP's newsletter; and all development-related communications. She oversaw the planning of CEP's 2005 and 2007 conferences and previously served as Office Manager at CEP. Before joining CEP in June 2003, Alyse worked in management at Morgan Stanley. She graduated magna cum laude from Skidmore College with a BA in English Literature and is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society.

John Davidson, Manager, creates assessment tools for foundation leaders and manages the internal processes related to execution of the grantee surveys and production of Grantee Perception Reports^® (GPRs). He also assists in the execution of specific research initiatives. John has worked extensively on the development and presentation of GPRs and Applicant Perception Reports (APRs), played an instrumental role in the design of the Staff Perception Report (SPR), and produced a number of Comparative Board Reports (CBRs) for participants in CEP's Foundation Governance Project. He has also collected operational benchmarking data for foundation executives and worked on a variety of special projects. John joined CEP in September 2003. He has a BA in Geography modified with Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.

Rachel Fagen, Office Manager, oversees CEP's office administration and operations management, including internal processes and infrastructure. Before joining CEP in September 2007, Rachel worked extensively in small business and nonprofit administration in Western Massachusetts, where she was involved in the Pioneer Valley Habitat for Humanity and the Tikkun Olam Committee of Congregation B'nai Israel, Northampton. She has a BA in Management with a minor in Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Paige Garran, Executive Staff Assistant, supports Kevin Bolduc, Vice President, Assessment Tools; Lisa Jackson, Ph.D., Vice President, Research; and Paul Heggarty, Vice President, Finance & Administration. She also assists CEP staff with their general administrative needs. Prior to joining CEP in December 2007, Paige provided executive support in a head-hunting and employment placement firm on the South Shore of Boston. She is a practicing yogini, studying the teachings of Erich Schiffmann, engaging in Freedom Yoga exercises for the last eight years, and focusing on Self Realization Fellowship meditation techniques. She has a BA in Art History from Pomona College.

Romero Hayman, Manager, works to create assessment tools for foundation leaders and also assists in the execution of specific research initiatives. He manages the internal processes related to execution of the Comparative Board Report (CBR) and Staff Perception Report (SPR). Romero has created and presented a number of Grantee Perception Reports^® (GPRs), CBRs, and SPRs to foundation leaders. He also worked significantly on the Foundation Governance Project, executing quantitative and qualitative analyses, and co-authored CEP's 2005 report, Beyond Compliance: The Trustee Viewpoint on Effective Foundation Governance. Romero sits on the boards of two Boston-based organizations, the Cambridge Community Fellowship Church and the International Institute for Justice and Development. Prior to joining CEP in October 2004, he was an associate with Investor Group Services, a Boston-based market diligence consulting firm serving private equity investors and corporate clients. Romero has a BA in Psychology from Dartmouth College.

Paul Heggarty, Vice President - Finance and Administration, is responsible for implementing the infrastructure and systems needed to support CEP's growth and increasingly complex demands. He is also involved in a range of strategic planning, evaluation, and professional development initiatives. Paul brings to his role extensive strategic business planning and financial analysis experience at rapidly growing organizations. Prior to joining CEP in October 2007, he served as the Director of Business Planning and Analysis at Watchfire, a security software company recently acquired by IBM. He has also worked as a Director of Finance at professional services organizations Viant Corporation and Cambridge Technology Partners. Paul is an active member of the Grants Committee at the Essex County Community Foundation and a Department of Social Services community representative for foster care reviews. He holds an MBA from Boston University and an undergraduate degree from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

Lisa R. Jackson, Ph.D., Vice President - Research, oversees the development and execution of CEP's research agenda. She also helps deliver CEP's other assessment tools. Before joining CEP in July 2006, Lisa was the Vice President for Performance and Outcomes at The Home for Little Wanderers, where she created and led the Department for Performance and Outcomes, recruiting and managing a staff of seven and serving as a member of the Home's Executive Management Team. Her previous positions include Project Director of Boston After-School Enterprise, Project Director at Gear Up, and Assistant Professor at the Boston College School of Education and UMass Boston. Lisa has served as an evaluation consultant to a range of youth-focused organizations. She has served on a number of nonprofit boards and is currently a co-president of The Children's Center of Brookline and a director of Teen Voices. Lisa also serves on the advisory board of Eagle Eye Institute and The Global Habitat Project. Lisa has published articles on race, education, and evaluation in a variety of academic journals and given presentations on these topics at various conferences. She received her doctorate and M.S. from Stanford University's School of Education and her B.S. in Psychology from Howard University.

Latia King, Executive Assistant to Phil Buchanan, supports the President and handles a variety of other related tasks, including providing staff support to the Board of Directors and Advisory Board. In addition, she assists with special projects and conferences.  Prior to joining CEP in April 2006, Latia held a variety of positions at the Center for Teen Empowerment. Most recently, she was a program coordinator at the Center for Teen Empowerment's Madison Park High School site, where she worked with youth and adults to create positive social, institutional, and individual change. Latia is a member of the Deaf Ministry at Jubilee Christian Church, where she uses her American Sign Language skills in a number of capacities. She has a BA, Magna Cum Laude, in Spanish with an American Studies minor from UMass, Boston.

Greg Laughlin, Senior Research Analyst, is involved in CEP's ongoing research on foundation strategy and the collection, analysis, and synthesis of foundation and grantee data. He also works extensively on the production and presentation of all of CEP's assessment tools. Prior to joining CEP in August of 2006, Greg graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Political Science and an MA in Sociology. As an undergraduate, Greg was the director of the Stanford Project on Hunger and interned with the Congressional Research Service and the Strategy Group of Thomson Legal and Regulatory.

Joe Lee, Research Analyst, participates in the ongoing research of foundation performance and the collection and analysis of foundation and grantee data. Prior to joining CEP in January of 2008, Joe pursued his interests in education and health as the director of Chinatown Citizenship, a nonprofit ESL program, and the Harvard Community Health Initiative, a health education and advocacy group, for which he received the Helmut R. Schumann Award for contributions to student health. Joe graduated from Harvard College with a BA in History and Science, where he wrote his thesis on the historical origins of mental illness and medication on college campuses.

Travis Manzione, Manager - Client Relations, leads relationships with funders using CEP's assessment tools. He oversees the creation and presentation of CEP's assessment reports and assists in the execution of specific research initiatives, including the development of new assessment vehicles. Prior to joining CEP in October 2007, Travis was a consultant with The Palladium Group, a Lincoln, MA-based strategy management consulting firm. His professional experiences also include serving as an Account Executive and Project Manager for a Philadelphia-based construction management firm and as a teaching assistant within Drexel University's Cooperative Education Program. Travis holds an MBA from the Lebow College of Business at Drexel University and graduated magna cum laude from Hobart and William Smith's Honors Program with a double major in Political Science and Public Policy.

Rachel Niederman, Research Analyst, is primarily involved in designing tools that will help foundations incorporate constituent voice into their self-assessment strategies.  She will also be involved in the production and presentation of CEP’s other assessment tools. Rachel joined CEP in February, 2008 after working as an Analyst at an organizational strategy consulting firm, The Center for Applied Research (CFAR). She graduated with a BA in Human Biology; Children in Society from Stanford University in 2006 where she focused on public policy that impacts marginalized children and their families. After she graduated, she fulfilled a one-year fellowship at the Annie E. Casey Foundation where she further investigated the ways in which private and public organizations work together in to improve outcomes for children.

Alexsandra Ocasio, Manager of Finance and Human Resources, oversees CEP's finances and is responsible for CEP's accounting systems, financial analysis and reporting, human resources, technology, and facilities management. Prior to joining CEP in June 2005, Alexsandra served in a variety of capacities with both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and most recently held a similar position at the Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc. She has a BFA in writing, literature, and publishing from Emerson College.

Judith A. Ross, Senior Research Writer, helps write and edit CEP's major research reports, case studies, newsletter articles, and press releases. Judith's byline has appeared in Harvard Management Update, Balanced Scorecard Report, Harvard Business Review, HBS Alumni Bulletin, and Working Knowledge: A Report on Research at Harvard Business School. Prior to joining CEP in January 2007, she was senior writer/editor and program manager at the Balanced Scorecard Collaborative, writer and proofreader for Wellesley College, and editorial assistant at the Harvard Business Review. Judith holds a B.A. in Communications from Simmons College.

Amy Shelton, Research Analyst, is involved in CEP's ongoing research and the collection, analysis, and synthesis of foundation and grantee data. She also helps produce and present all of CEP's assessment tools. Prior to joining CEP in October of 2007, Amy worked as a Program Manager for an educational travel agency, helping teachers prepare for trips abroad with their students. Amy graduated from Williams College in 2005 with a major in Psychology. As an undergraduate, Amy was a regular participant in Cap and Bells, the student theater group, both acting in and directing several plays.

Kathryn Sherman, Programming and Communications Coordinator, assists in the organization and execution of CEP's events and conferences and contributes to CEP's communications and publicity efforts. Before joining CEP in January, 2008, Kathryn interned at the William J. Clinton Foundation's HIV/AIDS Initiative and at the American Red Cross. Kathryn graduated Middlebury College in 2007, earning a B.A. in American Literature. While at Middlebury, she was involved in planning student events for the college and organizing entertainment for the community's Relay for Life American Cancer Society fundraiser. As an undergraduate, Kathryn spent a semester in Dakar, Senegal, where she investigated the city's waste management system, the public health challenges that its shortcomings were placing on the community, and the grassroots efforts to promote sanitation.

Sally Smyth, Research Analyst, creates assessment tools for foundation leaders and executes research on overall foundation performance assessment. Before joining CEP in August 2007, Sally worked with consultants for the city of Middletown, CT on farmland preservation and farmers' market planning. As an undergraduate, Sally helped to expand and manage the student-run Wesleyan organic farm. She also helped to coordinate the Community Research Seminar, in which Wesleyan students received academic credit to conduct sociological research for local organizations that served the public good. While studying in Durban, South Africa, Sally did field research about food procurement and local markets, and was subsequently a recipient of a Davenport grant to do research on local food systems in three US cities. Sally graduated with honors from Wesleyan University with a BA in the College of Social Studies, where she received the Robert Schumann Environmental Studies Distinguished Scholar Award for excellence in environmental leadership.

Valerie Threlfall, Director, Student Voice Initiative, is leading a new initiative for CEP which is focused on exploring the potential for developing tools that can gather comparative feedback from beneficiaries of foundation programs. In conjunction with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CEP is engaged in a pilot planning process to gather comparative feedback from students in Gates-funded schools. Prior to joining CEP in March 2008, Valerie worked as a nonprofit consultant, focused on business planning and performance measurement issues. Prior to that, she was the Director of Commercial and Strategic Planning at a start-up biotechnology firm, Momenta Pharmaceuticals, joining the firm as its fifteenth employee. Valerie’s prior nonprofit experience includes working at Opportunity Finance Network , a national association of community development financial institutions, where she published multiple papers on theory of change planning and how to create effective impact measurement systems. She holds a joint MBA and MPP from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management and Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, respectively. Valerie received her undergraduate degree in Economics and Public Policy from Swarthmore College. 

Kate Valente, Research Analyst, participates in the on-going research, development and presentation of CEP’s assessment tools tools, as well as the collection, analysis, and synthesis of data from both foundations and grantees. Prior to joining CEP in April 2008, Kate worked as a litigation assistant for a law firm, focusing primarily on commercial intellectual property litigations. Kate graduated from Harvard College in 2006 with a BA in Social Studies. She wrote her thesis on city-to-city partnerships as a means of encouraging sustainable development, drawing on her experience working for a summer in India on the CityLinks program for the International City/County Management Association.