Robin Dean offers grant writing, qualitative research and media advocacy services to clients working to create healthy, connected communities where everyone has a voice. Robin has raised more than $5 million for nonprofits and businesses through successfully written federal and foundation grant proposals, including a $1 million youth violence prevention grant for the Health Education Council. She has produced several case studies and evaluations, including stories of residents’ ENACT Day health advocacy experiences; a Berkeley Media Studies Group issue brief on an Oregon affordable housing coalitions media advocacy effort; and a case study of Girls’ Education in Mali. For the 2014 Bay Area Soda Tax campaigns, Robin advocated through coordinating and coaching writers with their media submissions for San Francisco’s “Yes on E” and Berkeley’s “Yes on D” initiatives. In addition, she wrote editorials featured in four news outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle. Robin holds an MPH with a Nutrition emphasis from UC Berkeley and an MA from Georgetown University.
Adele James is experienced as a funder, organizational development consultant, leadership development program staff and faculty member, and a career and life transition coach. She has a unique set of skills and an understanding of what it takes to be a productive and responsive leader, team and organization, with over 20 years’ experience in the nonprofit and philanthropy sectors. Adele works with statewide, regional and local groups in conducting program planning and management, organizational capacity and infrastructure development, meeting facilitation and training, strategic planning, staff development and team building. She brings a broad perspective to diversity issues, and is passionate about working to help individuals and organizations step into their fullest potential as impactful leaders on issues important to their communities. Adele holds an MA from Stanford University in International Development Education.
Jessica Lime is the Training and Policy Specialist for Ellis Planning Associates. She brings successful strategies and innovative ideas from her 10+ years of experience developing, implementing and evaluating interventions in the education and health sectors. Prior to this position, she served as a Program Manager for the SNAP-Ed Nutrition Education Obesity Prevention (NEOP) program, a Policy Consultant for the California School Boards Association, and a Health Educator for California Project LEAN. She has extensive experience facilitating classes, workshops and trainings at local, state and national venues; conducting needs assessments, program evaluation and research reports; developing targeted communications through online and print media; and building strong collaborative partnerships. Jessica is passionate about inspiring awareness and actions to improve social and environmental conditions in the world around us, through capacity building and youth development. She holds an MA in Education from Chapman University.
Liz Matson has worked extensively in program evaluation and the facilitation of organizational change. With a particular focus on the impact of public and private policy on under-represented and minority communities, her work sites have included school districts, national educational organizations, small non-profits, community collaborations, and local government. She has experience in a range of sectors, including education, heath and human services, literacy and linguistics, low-income and other marginalized populations, leadership studies, early childhood, disability and independent living, organizational development, strategic planning, and collaborative initiatives, in both urban and rural settings. She believes that program evaluation must offer the client the opportunity to build capacity internally and within the larger community, and her work underscores that belief. Liz has experience with a variety of evaluation approaches, including outcome and impact evaluation, process and implementation evaluation, formative evaluation, participatory and action research. She holds an MS in Applied Linguistics from Georgetown University and is working toward a PhD in Education Policy from UC Berkeley.
Diane Reed has 30 years’ experience as a consultant providing research and writing, policy analysis, planning, evaluation assistance, and grant writing services to public and private agencies and community-based organizations in California. Her projects cover child welfare, domestic violence, nutrition, tobacco, alcohol and other drug problems, perinatal health, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, criminal justice, and community-based service collaboration. She has conducted needs assessments and health/social services status reports for over 25 agencies and organizations, and written nearly 30 case studies describing the tobacco policy/advocacy work of cities and community-based organizations. She is principal author of a major case study analyzing the challenges confronting underfunded social agencies serving low income communities; and of four primers that provide information about the state child welfare system, CalWORKs, and nutrition issues to local and state leaders, service providers, educators, students, and other stakeholders. She holds an MPH in Policy and Planning from UC Berkeley.
Shellee Ann Sepko, MA, LMFT, is an advisor to Ellis Planning Associates on mental health best practices, and is currently Program Director for What’s Up? Wellness Checkups in Nevada County. In the mental health field since 1997, Shellee began at the AIDS Project Central Coast in Santa Barbara working with LGBTQ clients. After moving to Nevada County in 2003, she worked at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition as a psychotherapist creating programs for children/teens recovering from abuse, as well as providing crisis counseling, becoming a certified member of the Sexual Assault Response Team. Later, she joined the staff at Community Recovery Resources as a psychotherapist providing individual, family, and group therapy for children and adults recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. During her career, she has volunteered in international service projects including assisting Burmese refugees in Thailand. Shellee has a passion for community service and art-making as a form of healing on both a community and individual level. She is currently earning a Professional Diploma in Expressive Arts Therapy through the European Graduate School in Switzerland, and holds an MA in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Jen Rhi Winders of WISE Services is a youth development specialist for Ellis Planning Associates. She currently works with the What’s Up? Wellness Checkups suicide prevention screening program in Nevada County high schools, and as a health education social work consultant for the Nevada County Health and Wellness prevention division. She works primarily with Nevada County schools offering direct group services as well as teacher and staff training in mindfulness, yoga, girls groups and Digitales Digital Storytelling, a project utilizing photo and digital voicing to create advocacy and personal growth. Rhi has worked in the human service field for the last 20 years, in direct service and program development. Her areas of experience include developmental disability rights, sexual assault and domestic violence, sexual abuse, reproductive health, HIV counseling and education, teen parenting, and adolescent health. A certified Mindful Schools Educator, YogaKids and YogaEd trainer and facilitator, she has a passion for training teachers and service providers in integrating stress reduction and empowering emotional health tools into educational and counseling settings. Rhi is a trained mediator, HIV test counselor and domestic violence advocate, and holds an MSW from SUNY Albany and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University.