Dr. Aditi Das is a seasoned researcher with 12 years of professional experience. Aditi is passionate about applying her cross-cultural research experience, diverse methodological expertise, and strong analytical and communication skills to address issues of equity, access, and inclusion in social service delivery. At RDA, Aditi provides key analytic and facilitation support to a variety of projects across the human services spectrum. Prior to RDA, Aditi worked as a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley School of Social Welfare, where her research focused on strengthening upstream human service delivery for vulnerable children, youth, and families while assessing sustainability of reform efforts within complex human service organizations. Select Projects

• Lead Analyst: California Department of Social Services – Citizen Review Panels Facilitation
• Lead Analyst: California Department of Social Services – CalWORKs Home Visiting Program Evaluation
• Lead Analyst: City of San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services – Project Hope Community Survey

Education

• PhD: Social Service Administration – University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• MSW: Social Work – Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India
• BA: Psychology – Lady Shriram College for Women, New Delhi, India

Getting to Know Me

• Family: I live in San Francisco with my husband and son.
• Fun fact: I enjoy hikes around the Bay Area with my family and relish food (both eating and cooking!) from around the world.

Alison is a seasoned consultant with 15 years of experience in mixed-methods research, evaluation, and planning. Alison is dedicated to strengthening the capacity of local organizations to develop programs and policies that advance social and racial justice. Alison is committed to participatory projects that involve local residents and build on community assets. At RDA, Alison values a collaborative and empathetic approach to supporting clients and colleagues alike. Alison is the co-chair of RDA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Prior to joining RDA, Alison carried out a variety of evaluation and planning projects as a consultant with government and nonprofit agencies across the public health, housing, education, and community development sectors. Before entering the consulting field, Alison worked in a direct service organization for persons with HIV/AIDS in San Francisco.

Select Projects

• Project Manager: City of Oakland Human Services Department – ReCAST Evaluation
• Project Manager: Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees – Immigration Legal Services Assessment
• Project Director: San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services – Mental Health Services Act Pride Center Innovation Evaluation

Recent Blog Posts

• California’s Juvenile Justice System Realignment: Considerations for Implementation

Education

• MPH: Sociomedical Sciences and Health Promotion – Columbia University, New York, NY
• MPA: Economic and Political Development – Columbia University, New York, NY
• BA: Anthropology – Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT

Getting to Know Me

• Favorite quote: “No one is free until we are all free.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
• On my bucket list: Trekking in Patagonia
• Pet peeves: Motorcycle engines revving
• Fun fact: I was born and raised in Oakland

 

Cesángari López-Martínez is a talented researcher with seven years of experience in impact evaluation, experimental and quasi-experimental design, policy analysis, presentation of data findings and evaluation strategies, and grant research and management. At RDA, Cesángari provides analytic support to a variety of justice projects spanning juvenile justice system coordination, pretrial diversion research, reentry supports, and community policing impacts. She also supports many projects at the intersection of justice and behavioral health, such as Proposition 47 and Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) evaluations. Prior to joining RDA, Cesángari worked as a Program Manager at the Stanford Poverty, Violence, and Governance Lab, where she supported projects involving gang prevention, police-community relations, and police analyst training in Mexico. 

Select Projects

• Lead Analyst: City of Oakland City Administrator’s Office – Measure Z Police Services Evaluation 
• Lead Analyst: Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department – Proposition 47 Evaluation
• Lead Analyst: Arnold Ventures – Improving Pretrial Court Appearance Research

Education

• MA: International Education Policy Analysis – Stanford University, Stanford, CA
• BS: Economics – Centro de Investigación y Docencia Económica, Mexico City, MX

Getting to Know Me

• Favorite quote: “Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” – Anton Ego

David Klauber brings more than a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector providing both direct and indirect services for under-served youth experiencing displacement, homelessness, trafficking, and mental health challenges. His experience working across sectors and organizations, from small grassroots organizations to large international nonprofits, equips him with a multi-dimensional understanding of the challenges faced by individuals at the intersection of multiple systems. Having built a keen understanding of the multitude of overlaid challenges that face direct service providers and consumers of support services, he joined RDA to translate his passion for working with under-served young people to a system-level approach. At RDA, David is an engaging facilitator who has worked extensively with decision-making entities across sectors to support planning, implementation, governance structures, and board capacity development. He has led projects with city government oversight committees, education consortium steering committees, community action partnership and nonprofit boards, and citizen review panels.  Prior to joining RDA, he provided mental health services for young people, mobile case management for transition-age foster youth within transitional housing programs, and community-based afterschool programs for children and adolescents.  

Select Projects

• Project Manager: Contra Costa County Adult Education Consortium – Adult Education Block Grant Coordination and Facilitation 
• Facilitator, Analyst: Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees – Immigration Legal Services Assessment
• Project Manager: San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services – Case Management Systems Assessment

Recent Blog Posts

• Strategic Collaboration to Support California’s Vulnerable Adults

Education

• MSW: Social Work – University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
• BA: Latin American Studies – Tulane University, New Orleans, LA

Getting to Know Me

• Fun fact: Enjoy drawing and making music    

Debbie Mayer has over ten years of experience conducting qualitative and quantitative research for public agencies, social policy research institutions, and community-based organizations, focusing on a variety of criminal justice issues including probation practices, diversion programs, reentry supports, and violence prevention efforts. Debbie uses her research and evaluation skills to amplify the voices of individuals and communities most impacted by the criminal justice system to support meaningful criminal justice reform. At RDA, Debbie works as an evaluator, planner, researcher, and technical assistance provider on a variety of criminal justice projects. Prior to joining RDA, as part of the Urban Institute’s Transition from Jail to Reentry initiative, Ms. Mayer provided technical assistance to jail staff and social service providers to implement data and evaluation processes to improve jail-to-community transitions. Debbie’s earlier professional experiences include direct service work in a New York City supportive housing residence and supporting a randomized controlled trial evaluating microfinance liability structures in Peru.

Select Projects

• Project Manager: Sonoma County Probation Department Assembly Bill 109 Evaluation
• Project Manager: Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office – Anti-Trafficking Program Planning
• Project Manager: Los Angeles County Probation Department – Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act Evaluation 

Recent Blog Posts

• Using Risk Assessments Responsibly in Justice Systems
• Realizing the Promise of Prop 47 Community Justice Reinvestment

Education

• MPP: Public Policy – University of California, Berkeley, CA
• BA: Sociology – George Washington University, Washington, DC

Getting to Know Me

• On my bucket list:  Visiting Patagonia     
• Volunteerism: Coordinate grocery deliveries for a Bay Area mutual aid network

Deirel Marquez Perez is a skilled facilitator with considerable experience conducting outreach and engagement with diverse Bay Area stakeholders. She is passionate about economic and racial justice through cross-sector collaboration. At RDA,  Deirel supports projects by developing tools and materials, conducting research and literature reviews, conducting data collection and analysis, developing deliverables, and handling administrative and logistical necessities. Prior to joining RDA, Deirel worked as a policy associate at the Center for Responsible Lending, where she conducted extensive community outreach to support the launch of a California state campaign targeting predatory lending. Previously, as a fellow at the San Francisco Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs, Deirel coordinated with multiple community-based organizations to conduct targeted outreach and education to San Francisco immigrant residents on financial capability services, products, and fraud prevention. 

Select Projects

• Facilitator: California Department of Social Services  – Home Visiting Program Evaluation
• Lead Analyst: Richmond Community Foundation – eQuip Richmond Workforce Evaluation
• Analyst: City of Berkeley Mental Health Division – Mental Health Services Act Innovation Assessment and Planning

Education

• BS: Global Studies – University of California, Berkeley, CA

Getting to Know Me

• Family: Immigrants from Oaxaca, Mexico 
• Volunteerism: Secular mindfulness at the East Bay Meditation Center 
• Fun fact: I love dancing cumbia 

Emma Schifsky is an experienced researcher who is committed to meaningfully engaging diverse stakeholders and amplifying their voices to advance social change. Emma is passionate about translating mixed-methods research into programmatic strategies that advance equity. At RDA, she utilizes her research skills to contribute to a variety of program evaluation and needs assessment projects in the human service and behavioral health sectors. Prior to RDA, as an Urban Leaders Fellow, she worked with the Oakland Office of the Mayor to examine the relationship between charter and district schools as part of an effort to more equitably serve Oakland students, and with First 5 Alameda County to develop survey tools to support the evaluation of the Neighborhoods Ready for School program. Previously, as trained as a neuroscientist, she examined the relationship between maternal stress and diet and subsequent childhood cognition and emotional regulation. In addition, she has conducted clinical work with older adults and adults with disabilities as well as opiate-dependent patients.

Select Projects

• Analyst: California Department of Social Services – Home Visiting Program Evaluation
• Analyst: California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions – Workforce Education and Training Collaborative Impact Brief
• Analyst: Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services – Mental Health Services Act Innovative Strategist Network Evaluation 

Education

• BA: Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Neuroscience – Lewis & Clark College, Portland, OR

Getting to Know Me

• Family: Both of my parents are chemists and met in a lab, so my whole life I’ve been interested in science. My dad worked for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and my mom was a high school chemistry teacher and cross-country coach. Since I’m an only-child, I am very close with my parents and enjoy camping with my mom and talking about movies with my dad. 
• Pets: None at the moment, but grew up with cats named Doris and Freddy.
• Favorite quote: “Never a failure, always a lesson.” – Rihanna
• On my bucket list: Travel to Japan, Columbia, Greece, and Thailand    
• Go-to karaoke song: Valerie by Amy Winehouse
• Pet peeves: Being rude to service workers
• Fun fact: I have loved to ski since I was 6. I am in an anti-racist book club with my friends via Zoom where we share resources to read and donate to.

Dr. Gina Martinez is a social impact researcher with 11 years of experience focused on the intersection of community needs and public policy. She is passionate about supporting communities, youth in particular, through data-driven and evidence-based social change. With a background in academia, Gina has expertise in advanced research methods and design, as well as quantitative and qualitative data analysis techniques. At RDA, she works on a variety of projects, primarily in behavioral health, ensuring the work meets the needs of the communities being served while maintaining methodological rigor. Gina’s recent work includes analyzing complex data across multiple agencies to create reports for the AOT programs of Contra Costa and Orange Counties, and leading a Santa Clara County feasibility study on the expansion of school-based behavioral health services. Prior to working at RDA and after completing a Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University, Gina assessed the early education needs of cities and states across the Midwest and guided stakeholders to improve their services. 

Select Projects

• Project Manager: Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department – School-based Behavioral Health Services Planning
• Project Manager: Sonoma County Behavioral Health – Mental Health Services Act Assessment
• Lead Analyst: Contra Costa County Behavioral Health Services – Assisted Outpatient Treatment Evaluation

Recent Blog Posts

• Resources for Providers: Utilizing Telehealth to Provide Behavioral Health Services

Education

• PhD: Political Science – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
• MA: Political Science – University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
• BA: Political Science & History – University of California, San Diego, CA

Getting to Know Me

• Pet: An 11-year-old dog named Lucy
• Favorite quote: “I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.” – Blaise Pascal
• On my bucket list: To see the northern lights

Jamie Dorsey is a skilled researcher who is dedicated to reducing health disparities through access to health and human services among vulnerable populations, both domestically and abroad. Jamie brings a decade of professional experience and advanced analytic skills in quantitative methods and rigorous research design. Since joining RDA, Ms. Dorsey has applied her analytic skills and research methodology to RDA’s extensive work conducting system assessments and process and outcome evaluations of health and behavioral health programs. Prior to RDA, Ms. Dorsey worked on various public health research projects, including identifying the multi-level determinants of child undernutrition, as well as exploring the reach of natal care programs and their effectiveness in educating women on important health topics.

Select Projects

• Project Manager: Merced County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services – Innovative Strategist Network Evaluation
• Project Manager: Orange County Health Care Agency – Assisted Outpatient Treatment Evaluation
• Lead Analyst: Imperial County Local Health Authority Commission – 5150 Roadmap Development

Education

• MSPH: Public Health, Human Nutrition – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
• BS: Biology – Washington and Lee University, Lexington, VA

Getting to Know Me

• Pets: Cats Tibby and Gus 
• On my bucket list:  Go trekking in the Himalaya    

Kirsten White brings seven years of professional experience in policy analysis, public sector consulting, instructional practice, and curriculum development. Kirsten is a skilled researcher and facilitator who is passionate about using participatory program planning and evaluation tools to amplify the voices of consumers and better align public spending to the needs of community members. She brings expertise in facilitation, including differentiated instruction and training, as well as expertise in managing dynamic project areas, including strategic planning and agile project management. At RDA, Kirsten leads board development, program evaluation, and strategic planning efforts across the health and human services spectrum. Prior to RDA, she consulted on policy analysis projects for clients across the Bay Area, including Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin, Oakland City Auditor Brenda Roberts, and the San Francisco Planning Department. As an educator in Washington, Arizona, and California, Kirsten taught students at all levels, from lower elementary to undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley. She has also trained education professionals in curriculum design, differentiated instruction, Kagan Cooperative Learning, and Whole Brain Teaching. 

Select Projects

• Project Manager: Solano Adult Education Consortium – Consortium Management 
• Project Manager: Sacramento County Public Defender’s Office – Juvenile Trauma Response Court Evaluation
• Project Manager: City of Berkeley Mental Health Division – Mental Health Services Act Innovation Tech Suite Project Coordination

Education

• MPP: Public Policy – University of California, Berkeley, CA
• BA: Anthropology – Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA

Getting to Know Me

• Volunteerism: I am a proud mentor for Oakland Promise. 
• Fun fact: I enjoy performing stand-up comedy.

Dr. Lauren Broder is a seasoned researcher with 15 years of professional experience. Lauren is committed to using research and evaluation to elevate community needs and support and inform meaningful social change. She brings expertise in program evaluation, research and evaluation planning, quantitative and qualitative data analysis, presentation of data findings and evaluation strategies, education and youth development research, and grant writing. At RDA, she contributes this expertise to a variety of projects across the human services spectrum. Prior to joining RDA, Lauren served as the Director of Research and Evaluation at 826 National, a writing and education nonprofit aimed at amplifying youth voice in under-resourced communities. In this role, she led evaluations of five core youth programs staffed by a network of over 100 staff members and 20 board members in eight locations across the country. Throughout these evaluation efforts, Lauren successfully strengthened and advanced the metrics and tools in use while also helping to communicate data and results to nontechnical audiences.

Select Projects

• Project Manager: California Department of Social Services Home Visiting Program Evaluation 
• Project Manager: Santa Clara County Social Services Agency Department of Family and Children Services – Continuum of Care Transitional Placement Model Evaluation 
• Project Manager: Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department – Proposition 47 Evaluation

Recent Blog Posts

• Two Success Stories: Pivoting to Virtual Data Collection and Stakeholder Engagement

Education

• PhD: Developmental Psychology – University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• MA: Psychology – University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
• BA: Psychology, Minor in Business Administration – University of Colorado, Boulder, CO

Neha Bangar is an evaluation specialist and social impact advocate with eight years of diverse experience in health, law, education, and international development. She is especially skilled in comprehensive research design, strategic solution finding, quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods, report writing, leadership, and teamwork. Neha is a skilled facilitator dedicated to engaging diverse stakeholders. She is passionate about asking and answering questions that help organizations see how their objectives help achieve their desired impact. At RDA, Neha contributes her research and evaluation expertise to a variety of health and human services projects for County, City, and nonprofit clients. Prior to RDA, Neha held a variety of positions in Canada, including Policy Analyst for the Ministry of Health and Researcher for the University of British Columbia’s eHealth Strategy Office. 

Select Projects

• Analyst: Merced Behavioral Health and Recovery Services – System Capacity Needs Assessment
• Analyst: Marin County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services – Substance Use Strategic Plan Evaluation 
• Analyst: City of Berkeley Mental Health Division – Results-Based Accountability Evaluation Technical Assistance

Education

• Master of Public Policy – Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
• Bachelor of Science, Minor in Economics – University of British Colombia, Vancouver, Canada

Getting to Know Me

• Favorite quote: “Be the change you want to see.” – Arleen Lorrance
• On my bucket list: Hiking the Machu Picchu trail
• Go-to karaoke song and artist: Maroon 5 – She will be loved
• Volunteerism: Vice Chair, Alameda Health System, Healthcare for the Homeless Advisory Board
• Pet peeves: Loud chewing noises
• Fun fact: My name spells “A hen” backwards

Nicole Gamache-Kocol is a behavioral health professional with more than 15 years of professional experience who is passionate about improving access to care for individuals and communities who have been historically disadvantaged by systemic racism, sexism, and other forms of inequity and oppression. Her experience as a direct service provider to people experiencing a combination of homelessness, substance use, mental health challenges, and complex chronic medical conditions informs her approach to social change. She believes that by building and strengthening cross-sector partnerships we can begin to address health disparities and gaps in care. Nicole is a skilled facilitator who values collaboration and curiosity while centering the voices and experiences of people served by government agencies, community-based organizations, and health and human service systems. At RDA, Nicole provides organizational development, technical assistance, program planning and evaluation, and quality improvement support to organizations using a trauma-informed and strengths-based lens. She believes that access to care can be improved with targeted needs assessment, innovative program development, guided implementation, and data-driven evaluation. She understands that flexibility and adaptability are critical to the success of innovations in health and human service systems. Nicole’s experience includes having managed the research and training division of the Felton Institute, focusing on the implementation of evidence-based practices in community-based organizations and county behavioral health departments across the state of California.

Select Projects

• Project Manager, Facilitator, Continuous Quality Improvement Specialist, and Behavioral Health Subject Matter Expert: Alameda County Health Care Services Agency – Alameda County Care Connect Quality Improvement
• Facilitation and Data Collection Lead and Trauma-Informed Care Subject Matter Expert: Santa Clara County Office of Gender-Based Violence Prevention – Sexual Assault Survivor Engagement
• Continuous Quality Improvement Specialist: Santa Clara County Housing Authority – Focus Forward Program Planning and Implementation

Recent Blog Posts

• Why We May Not Be Our Best Selves Right Now: Effects of Crisis and Isolation on Mental Health
• Are the Right People at the Table?
• Two Success Stories: Pivoting to Virtual Data Collection and Stakeholder Engagement

Education

• MSW: Social Work – University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
• BA: Anthropology – University of California Berkeley, CA

Getting to Know Me

• Pet: Chonky old cat named Leo
• Favorite quote: “You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” – Angela Davis
• On my bucket list:  To go surfing and skydiving in Denarau Island, Fiji 
• Go-to karaoke song: Mad World, the Gary Jules version

Nicole Liner-Jigamian is a skilled evaluator with seven years of experience developing community-level programs and conducting mixed-methods research and evaluations for nonprofit and public agencies across the Bay Area.  Nicole excels at collecting information and translating research into data and stakeholder-driven recommendations. She is passionate about the power of cross-system solutions and believes in employing holistic approaches to address the complex needs of individuals and communities through systems-level interventions. At RDA, Nicole supports a variety of research, evaluation, and community engagement projects focused on criminal justice and other intersecting sectors such as behavioral health. Prior to RDA, Nicole’s work focused on a variety of human service and public health issues, including child welfare, substance use, Health in All Policies, geographic health care access, and climate change.

Select Projects

• Analyst: Sonoma County Probation Department – Assembly Bill 109 Evaluation
• Analyst: San Mateo County Behavioral Health and Recovery Services – Mental Health Services Act Tech Suite Innovation Evaluation
• Analyst: Arnold Ventures and CUNY Institute for State and Local Government – Reducing Revocations Challenge

Education

• MPH: Public Health – University of California, Berkeley, CA
• MSW: Social Welfare, Management, and Planning – University of California, Berkeley, CA
• BA: Anthropology – University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Getting to Know Me

• On my bucket list: To visit, and eat my way through, Japan      
• Pet peeves: Clutter
• Fun fact: I was on (and won!) Wheel of Fortune

Sarah Ferrell is a Master of Public Health and Master of Social Welfare candidate at the University of California, Berkeley who is committed to promoting community-level wellbeing through authentic co-creation of health programming and resource allocation. Sarah is a skilled qualitative interviewer who is passionate about amplifying people’s stories to inform organizational strategy and action. She is a strategic and tactical thinker with a critical eye for how intersecting service systems implicate our most vulnerable community members. As an Intern at RDA, Ms. Ferrell supports a variety of projects that span the social services sector. 

Select Projects

• Lead Qualitative Analyst; Content Expert; Facilitator: LifeLong Medical Care – Data Governance Planning
• Qualitative Analyst; Conceptual Mapping Support: San Francisco Department of Disability and Aging Services – Case Management Systems Assessment
• Qualitative Analyst: Community Action Partnership of Kern – Strategic Planning and Board Development

Education

• BA – Hearing & Speech Sciences – University of Maryland, College Park
• MPH – University of California, Berkeley (candidate May 2021)
• MSW – University of California, Berkeley (candidate May 2021)

Getting to Know Me

• Pets: Unpopular opinion: plants are better than pets!!! 
• Pet peeves: when people leave the faucet running and walk away…
• Fun fact: bakes the flakiest, layer’iest, most delicious buttermilk biscuits you’ve ever had!

 

Stephanie Bimar is a data-driven professional with seven years of experience as a research and evaluation consultant. She is passionate about leveraging evaluation and measurement to improve public services, especially those serving children, youth, and their families. As a trained evaluator at RDA, Steph has designed, led, and managed mixed-methods evaluations for clients across the state spanning the fields of education, health, and social services. Steph is skilled in data visualization, participatory facilitation methods, and creating collaborative relationships with stakeholders to help answer their critical questions and make meaning of their data and experiences. Prior to joining RDA, Steph was a Senior Research Associate at a consultancy where she led a variety of evaluation projects, including an evaluation of the Museum of the African Diaspora’s MoAD in the Classroom program, an evaluation of West Contra Costa Unified School Districts Expanded Learning Programs, and an evaluation of Tipping Point Community’s Emerging Leaders Fellowship.

Select Projects

• Lead Analyst: Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department – School-Based Behavioral Health Services Planning
• Project Manager: California Institute for Behavioral Health Solutions – Workforce Education and Training Collaborative Impact Brief
• Project Manager: Lake County Behavioral Health Services – Mental Health Services Act Innovation Network of Care Evaluation

Education

• MA: Social Psychology and Program Evaluation – Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
• BA: Psychology, Minor in Anthropology – University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA

Getting to Know Me

• Family: I’m a Bay Area native, live with my family in Livermore.
• Pets: Two pups, Bailey (shih tzu – chihuahua mix) and Bella (tri-color corgi)    
• Volunteerism: I’m a mentor for the Earl Woods Scholars Program (TGR Foundation).