Leadership Team

Martin Orland, Ph.D.

Sr. Fellow & Vice President

Overview

Dr. Martin Orland (Ph.D.) is a senior fellow at MSG and chairs the education market group. Over a 40-year professional career, Dr. Orland’s educational leadership roles both inside and outside of government have consistently focused on filling the nexus between evidence-based knowledge and improved policy and practice. Dr. Orland previously spent nine years as Senior Program Director for Evaluation and Policy Research at WestEd as well as founding director of its Washington, D.C. office. Prior to joining WestEd, Dr. Orland was Director of the Center for Education (CFE) at the National Research Council, part of the National Academies, and a member of the federal government’s Senior Executive Service (SES). Dr. Orland spent 19 years at the U.S. Department of Education (ED) in various senior leadership roles: special assistant to the director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), associate commissioner at the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and acting director of the National Education Goals Panel (NEGP). His major accomplishments while at ED included creating the What Works Clearinghouse, the publication and dissemination of the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS), developing the secretary’s annual report on teacher preparation programs, and producing annual reports on progress toward achieving the national education goals.

Dr. Orland is a past president of the Association for Education Finance and Policy (formerly the American Education Finance Association) the author of several dozen publications for academic, policy, and practitioner audiences, and government agencies, and a frequent presenter at international, national, and regional conferences.

Education

Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs
Ph.D., Social Sciences
Brooklyn College, City University of New Year
B.A., M.A., Political Science

Anne Chamberlain, M.S.

Senior Director

Overview

Anne Chamberlain leads the Research and Evaluation practice at MSG. She has been conducting and managing the research and evaluation of complex policies and programs for 20 years. Ms. Chamberlain has extensive experience conveying research from concept through dissemination stages. Her work has addressed a variety of issues in workforce development, education, and human services. Methodologically, Ms. Chamberlain works across quantitative and qualitative approaches, often building mixed-methods designs to maximize the utility of both. She has directed randomized controlled trials of education and disability employment initiatives and is also an expert in the use of interview, focus group, observation, and document-review techniques. Ms. Chamberlain works to ensure that the wide variety of stakeholders within each project are acknowledged and invested in a high-quality, actionable evaluation.

Prior to joining MSG, Ms. Chamberlain was a senior research associate with IMPAQ International and Director of Program Evaluation at Social Dynamic where she led numerous studies on workforce development, education, and human services. Ms. Chamberlain is an active member of the American Evaluation Association.

Education

University of Maryland Baltimore County
ABD, Public Policy - Evaluation
Syracuse University
M.S., Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation

Helga Luest, M.A., CC-P

Senior Director

Overview

Helga Luest is MSG’s Director, Marketing and Communications. She has worked in public interest public relations and health communications, providing strategic counsel and communications support, for more than 30 years. Previously, she led efforts at Abt Associates with HHS, DOJ, ED, and EPA. Some of her work included leading a branding effort for malaria elimination for the Health Ministry of Zimbabwe, leading a public messaging campaign on lead and drinking water for EPA, and serving as project director for the National Bullying Prevention Initiative and StopBullying.gov. She was one of the founding consultants that formed SAMHSA’s National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, providing communications and curriculum development for the technical assistance center.

Ms. Luest is an expert on behavioral health issues, social behavior change communication, violence and bullying prevention, child abuse and neglect, family and domestic violence, and trauma-informed support. In 2018, she co-authored the trauma-informed care resolutions that passed unanimously in the U.S. House and Senate. In 2011, she was awarded the Congressional Unsung Hero Award for her effective advocacy work on violence prevention and response. Ms. Luest received her certification in climate change and health from Yale, was trained by former Vice President Al Gore to join the international Climate Reality Leadership Corps, and recently completed CC-P certification with the Association of Climate Change Officers and the state of Maryland.

Education

University of Maryland University College
M.S., International Management (emphasis on cross-cultural communication)
American University
B.S., Marketing

Andy Simpson

Director

Overview

Andrew Simpson leads all technology related activities at MSG including IT project management, web design, web and mobile application development, database administration, data security and web hosting. He brings passion and innovation, demonstrated through the design and development and multi-project use of a proprietary Technical Assistance framework, TotalTA, and also through his innovative thinking for developing effective Communities of Practice. Mr. Simpson has extensive experience leading teams through the design, development, testing, deployment and maintenance of technology solutions including event websites and mobile apps, communities of practice, content management systems, and rich data-driven solutions. He also ensures that all technology-based solutions comply with Section 508 Accessibility, NIST and FISMA standards for Federal technology solutions, and agency-specific regulations.

Education

Shenandoah University
B.B.A., Information Systems in Computer Technology

Lori Meyer, M.P.S.

Director

Overview

Lori Meyer has 20 years of progressive experience working at the nexus of research, policy, and practice to identify solutions for improving educational outcomes and bolstering career readiness for children, youth, and adults. She specializes in designing and delivering technical assistance, leading and managing cross-cutting projects and teams, and conducting research to identify best practices. Throughout her career, she has served as a trusted advisor to nonprofit executives, policymakers, state and local agency staff, business and industry leaders, and heads of philanthropy, helping expand their knowledge and understanding of the education landscape, identify partnerships, and build coalitions. Ms. Meyer has also written and presented extensively on a range of topics spanning from cradle to career, including award-winning reports.

Prior to joining MSG, Ms. Meyer was a consultant, launching strategic initiatives, bolstering issue-oriented portfolios in education and workforce development, and facilitating learning networks. In addition to her consulting experience, Ms. Meyer has held senior positions with education-focused policy, research and communications organizations. She currently serves as Vice President of the Board of Directors for XaLights, a youth services nonprofit.

Education

The University of Maryland Baltimore County
M.P.S., Education Policy
The University of Akron
B.S., Political Science/Public Policy Management

Shirley Eng, M.S.

Director

Overview

Shirley Eng has over 20 years of experience in best practices research and business process improvement for private and government sector organizations. She has managed over 50 market research and data collection projects for public and private sector clients. These projects include Fortune 500 clients in the energy, health, and technology sectors and government contracts with the General Services Administration, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Department of Agriculture, The Federal Reserve Banks, The Federal Deposit of Insurance, among others. Ms. Eng has extensive experience developing strategies to enhance operational and financial performance and, thus, improve internal and external customer satisfaction.

Prior to joining MSG, Ms. Eng worked at American Express and Salomon Brothers on multiple process improvement initiatives within the finance and credit card operations. These initiatives include data quality improvements, competitive benchmarking and research, activity-based management, modeling and risk management, shared services process optimization and overall information management system and process improvement.

Education

Columbia University
M.S., Strategic Communications with a focus in Market Research
B.A., Organizational Psychology and with concentrations in Economics and Computer Science

Ying Zhang, Ph.D.

Director

Overview

Dr. Ying Zhang is a social scientist with two decades of experience designing and delivering implementation, evaluation, and research studies for governmental and non-governmental organizations. She specializes in leading evidence-building activities, including conducting rigorous program evaluation and data analysis and using performance measures to monitor and manage programs. Dr. Zhang has directed multiple projects funded by the U.S. Departments of Labor, State,  and Education; National Science Foundation; and Food and Nutrition Service. She is a certified survey methodologist, certified instructional observer for informal science education, and certified reviewer for ED's What Works Clearinghouse.

Before joining MSG, she led a longitudinal evaluation on a multidisciplinary approach to secondary education, conducted survey studies on the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act, and performed psychometric analyses for standardized state assessments. 

Education

University of Maryland - College Park
Ph.D., Education
M.A., Measurement, Statistics, and Evaluation

Marilia Mochel, M.A.

Director

Overview

Marilia Mochel has 15 years of experience as a social researcher. Over the past decade, she has led or supported many federal research and evaluation projects in the areas of employment and training, adult education, disability, food and nutrition, and public research investments. Ms. Mochel has successfully led all stages of program evaluations, including evaluation design and development, implementing multiple data collection efforts, data analysis, and reporting. Her work encompasses qualitative and quantitative approaches, with experience in data analysis, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and document review. Ms. Mochel has been a primary author or editor of reports, briefs, and literature reviews connected with her project work.

In recent years, Ms. Mochel’s work has focused on labor and workforce development research and technical assistance. She currently manages a large technical assistance effort to accelerate the expansion of apprenticeships in high-growth industries for the Employment and Training Administration at the U.S. Department of Labor.  
 

Education

Florida International University
M.A., Political Science
Universidade de Brasilia
B.A., International Relations

Robyn Cenizal, CFLE

Director

Overview

Robyn Cenizal has over 25 years of project management experience working with federal, state, and local government agencies as well as faith and community-based organizations. In addition to overall program design and project management skills, her primary strengths are providing training and technical assistance (TTA) and technical writing. Her project management skills include program design, implementation, task oversight, fiscal management, team leadership, client interface, and program evaluation. Her TTA experience includes instructional design and curriculum development for both live instruction and online learning platforms. As an expert trainer, she has experience with both in-person and virtual facilitation. Her direct-service program management experience and history of working with governmental agencies informs her individualized TA practices to support organizations in making data driven decisions. Her extensive expertise is grounded in research related to family strengthening, child welfare, workforce development, violence prevention, offender re-entry and poverty reduction. She is a Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) and has authored numerous publications on promising practices associated with serving high-risk, low-resource, and culturally diverse populations.

Ms. Cenizal is a Community Volunteer Leader with North Florida Red Cross and chairs the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee. She is also an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach and a Certified International Health Coach (CIHC).

Education

Southern Illinois University
Workforce Education & Development Bachelor’s Degree

 

Carol Cohen, M.P.P.

Associate Director

Overview

Carol Cohen is an associate director in MSG’s Education Group. Over a 40-year career, she has led and overseen projects providing federal, state, and local decision makers with expert research, analysis, resources, and technical assistance to advance education and human services initiatives. Her areas of focus include charter schools, comprehensive programs for children and families, and the financing and sustainability of high-quality programs. Ms. Cohen has extensive experience directing and managing large, complex research and technical assistance projects and resource centers under contract to the U.S. Department of Education, including serving as Executive Project Director of the National Charter School Resource Center, Project Director for the Charter Schools Monitoring Project, Technical Assistance Director for the Mid-Atlantic Comprehensive Center, and Co-Director of the field-initiated National Resource Center on Charter School Finance and Governance. 

Prior to coming to MSG, Ms. Cohen served in some of the most highly respected, non-partisan organizations in Washington, D.C., including WestEd, General Accounting Office (now Government Accountability Office), Congressional Budget Office, and The Finance Project. 

Education

University of California, Berkeley
M.P.P., Public Policy
B.A., Economics