Research & Evaluation | Manhattan Strategy Group

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

Anne Chamberlain, M.S.

Vice President

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

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

At the cornerstone of effective crisis management is accurate, clear, and timely communication. MSG is ready to mobilize rapid response communications to ensure that all audiences – government employees, federal grantees, and our communities – are informed in the midst of any crisis situation. Our process is based on an understanding of the goals, objectives, challenges, and timeline of every communication activity. This includes: assessment of the audiences and how best to reach them; strategic development of a plan of what will happen, with whom, and through which channels; engagement through effective dissemination to target audiences; evaluation to ensure efficacy, reach, and action; and enhancements for continuous improvement. MSG applies a cultural lens to communications as well, such as which materials are appropriate to various demographics.

Emily Ehrlich

Vice President

Overview

Emily Ehrlich has more than 25 years of experience as a public health professional and strategic leader with a successful record of business development to support programs across multiple Federal agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Her Project Management Professional certification has enabled many successes in business development, process improvement, and strategic planning.
In her current role, Ms. Ehrlich provides expertise to advance MSG’s portfolio of programs to improve population health and strengthen the effectiveness of health, public health, and mental health systems.
Ms. Ehrlich has extensive experience developing, implementing, and evaluating programs for Federal and State clients that focus on analytics, qualitative research design, evaluation, technical assistance, and policy development.
Before joining MSG in 2023, Ms. Ehrlich was the President of The CDM Group.

Education
University of Michigan
MPH, Health Behavior and Health Education
University of Wisconsin
BA, Psychology
Project Management Institute
PMP Certification

Erwin Coleman, M.P.A., M.A.

Principal, Corporate Relations

Overview

Erwin Coleman has over 15 years of experience in substance abuse and behavioral health program development, management, technical assistance, grants management, and public policy analysis. He has experience in designing and delivering federal and state sessions on strategic planning, goals and objectives development, funding mechanism regulations, requirements and compliance, policy and procedure design, project activity implementation and assessment, participant/client recruitment and retention, project management, and other skill-based requirements. His accomplishments include a successful record of leading a complex portfolio of projects for various Federal agencies – the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).

Education

Howard University
Master of Arts, International Relations and Public Policy, Washington, DC
Texas State University
Master of Public Administration, Public Administration, San Marcos, TX
Texas A&M University
Bachelor of Science, Political Science, College Station, TX

An overarching concern for human welfare underlies all of MSG’s efforts in technical assistance, communications, and content development. In a crisis environment, we augment our team of TA and communications experts with medical and psychological professionals with expertise is in crisis response. The MSG COVID-19 Response Center approaches all activity with an understanding that community wellbeing is the result of connected community, where participation is critical to crisis response and recovery. Our Response Center implements trauma-informed solutions to connect people now and for what lies beyond the pandemic. We have solutions to reintegrate unemployed or individuals needing retooling back into the workforce.

Jeff Pirnat

Vice President

Overview

Mr. Pirnat has over 25 years of experience working with government contracting and commercial firms in financial management, development, and execution of strategic plan and risk mitigation. Within government contracting, he is proficient in all aspects of accounting and project control for cost-plus-fixed-fee, time and materials, and firm-fixed-price basis contracts in compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations. Mr. Pirnat has the business acumen to drive profitability, reduce operating expenses, and enhance working capital. More importantly, he fosters an environment of continued innovation, business process improvement aligned with sound internal controls, and compliance best practices.

Before joining MSG, Mr. Pirnat worked at Booz Allen Hamilton as the finance lead for several research & development divisions and was a trusted financial advisor to several senior leaders. Among his achievements in this role, he established new practices to streamline project budgeting and financial forecasting, and developed a number predictive models and tools to provide insight into the organization’s performance to maximize efficient asset allocation.

Education

Salisbury University
B.S., Business Administration with a concentration in Finance

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

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

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

Michelle Duhart

Director

Overview

Michelle Duhart is a results-driven leader with thirty years' experience in the public and private sector with demonstrated performance in government contracting, juvenile justice, delinquency prevention, domestic violence, sexual assault, and training and technical assistance (TTA). She has led and provided guidance for five federally funded TTA Centers worth approximately $50 million and managed a dynamic portfolio of training events through brokering services and delivery of nationwide training widely recognized for building capacity in the juvenile justice/delinquency prevention and youth development fields. She has a long history of working with the Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice, and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) and its stakeholders on several priority initiatives that include girls in juvenile justice and delinquency prevention initiatives, risk-focused prevention, staffing, supervision, data-driven decision making, reducing racial and ethnic disparities, supporting system-involved LGBTQ youth, and managing TTA centers. She supported OJJDP’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center (NTTAC) from 2011–2016 as the Training Director and recently managed the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) TTA division, a project funded at $15 million that included over 100 subject matter experts (SMEs), contractors, and auditors to reduce and eliminate prison rape and provide education to comply with PREA standards.

Ms. Duhart has spent 20+ years developing curriculum, customizing, and delivering TTA, aligning TTA requests to the field, and working closely with providers, partners, and practitioners to ensure their priority and emerging needs are addressed efficiently and effectively, whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person. As a seasoned leader, Ms. Duhart has vast experience working with under resourced communities and youth with elevated risks that hinder their future success. She is accustomed to responding to time-sensitive, emerging requests that require challenges being addressed with senior leaders, partners, and federal staff that yield results.

Education

University of North Texas
Bachelor of Social Work, Minor in Criminal Justice
Cornell University
Diversity & Inclusion Certificate

Online education usually involves phases of analysis and design that cannot be implemented in remote learning during a crisis like COVID-19. MSG has the capacity and learning management platforms to pivot online education to remote learning. This allows knowledge sharing through the use of technology systems and instructional methods designed to quickly engage youth and adult populations. MSG supports distance learning with federal-state partnerships to increase youth and adult access to and success in education. MSG also develops programs based on best practices and past performance to encourage employer engagement in the postsecondary education of working adults. Our agile evaluation of instructional approaches that produce expected outcomes allow flexibility for real time adjustments to new remote learning demands, audiences, and platforms.

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

Shezad Habib

Founder, President, & Managing Director

Overview

Shezad Habib is a dynamic and energetic leader who has provided consulting and advisory services to the international community for over 15 years. He has assembled and managed multiple large-scale team for complex local and international consulting projects. Through his leadership, MSG has helped provide strategic insight across federal agencies, as well as Fortune 500 clients in the energy, health, and technology sectors. Mr. Habib serves on the Board of multiple organizations and has conducted business in more than 30 countries. Mr. Habib excels at relationship management and bringing stakeholders together to create the right teams to meet our client’s needs. Mr. Habib is responsible for overseeing Manhattan Strategy’s growth, strategic planning, and external relationships with clients, vendors, and partners.

Education

Columbia Business School
CCBP, Entrepreneurship, Management & Growth, 2010-2012
New York University
Advanced Coursework, Organization Behavior
Colby College
B.A., Economics and Administrative Sciences

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

Whether in response to a crisis, or in recognition of the unique needs of agencies, organizations, and individuals, technical assistance (TA) must be flexible to be effective. MSG’s COVID-19 Response Center was quickly deployed to identify TA needed during the emergency or crisis through our proprietary emergency TA model. TA is continuously adapted to meet changing needs and contexts over the lifespan of a crisis. TA efforts are a critical piece of the federal response and must support immediate needs, taking into consideration potential threat multipliers or the possibility of recurrence. MSG’s position as a leader in education, workforce, and human services TA affords the unparalleled ability to respond quickly and accurately, providing continuity of information, resources, and services.

Vadi Ranganathan

Vice President Technology, Cloud Migration and Digital Experience

Overview

Vadi Ranganathan has more than 25 years of experience with designing and developing microservice-based SPA applications in all phases of the software development life cycle in financial, civilian, Federal Government, and commercial spaces in AWS cloud and On-Prem. Vadi’s communication, leadership, and organizational skills have allowed him to excel at managing high-performing IT professionals, offering motivation and insight that comes from years of high-level experience. He has vast experience working in a broad range of project roles, including enterprise architect, systems architect, and project management.

Prior to joining MSG, Vadi Ranganathan worked at Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) as Senior Principal Consultant providing loan origination solutions to big financial institutions, Conference of State Bank Supervisors (CSBS) as Senior Director Solution Architect, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as Enterprise Architect, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service as Technical Architect.

Education

Bangalore University
Bachelor of Engineering, Telecommunication

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

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