Aweeniik Ha Na
“Who are they?”
BPC Team
For generations, our tribal communities worked together to fuel accomplishments that offered benefits to many. BPC carries on these traditions of collaborative work, benefiting wider communities by networking with experts to build the best team for a project. This academic lodge of collaborators is our “Lodge Squad.”
Through collaborative networks, BPC will participate in and facilitate the advancement and worth of all people and children through economic, political, social, legal, and cultural processes.
BPC Team
Our team of academic warriors, using both traditional and western frameworks, make up our Academic Lodge. Read on to learn about our unique collaborators and the diverse roles and knowledge they share.
Scientific Staff
Claire
Bjork, PhD
Scientific Staff
Claire provides environmental and climate consulting to the Bowman Performance Consulting Team through her scholarly interests of ecological restoration and culturally-based environmental stewardship. She is also an Outreach Specialist for the Earth Partnership Program at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, as well as a Lecturer for the School of Education, both located at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Claire holds a PhD in Environment and Resources from University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her dissertation is titled Caring for Common Ground: Developing a Spiritually-Engaged Ecological Restoration Education Program.
Nicole
Bowman, PhD
Lunaape | Mohican
President and Founder
Nicole is a traditional Ndulunaapeewi Kwe (Lunaape woman) and an evaluation innovator whose academic lodge sits at the intersection of traditional knowledge, Tribal sovereignty, and evaluation. She is the President of Bowman Performance Consulting and an Associate Scientist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Nicole is a subject matter expert in systems (Nation to Nation), culturally responsive, and Indigenous research, policy, and evaluation. She is AEA’s 2018 Robert Ingle Service Award winner (first Indigenous awardee) and serves on numerous global evaluation or educational journal review boards. including as co-chair of AEA’s Indigenous Peoples in Evaluation Topical Interest Group and a Global Member of both EvalIndigenous and AEA’s International Work Group. Her dissertation is titled Indigenous Educational Policy Development with Tribal Governments: A Case Study.
Linda Sue
Warner, PhD
Comanche
Scientific Staff
Linda provides guidance on educational administration and policy, higher education leadership and accreditation, and quantitative research. She has more 50 years as an educator and more than 30 years of experience developing and guiding policy for federal agencies, including her work as an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Interior. The University of Oklahoma has also honored Linda with their Career Achievement award. Linda holds a PhD in Administration from the University of Oklahoma. Her dissertation is titled Stereotyping and Job Satisfaction among American Indian Female Supervisors.
Martin
Reinhardt, PhD
Sault St. Marie Ojibway
Scientific Staff
Martin provides American Indian education consulting to the Bowman Performance Consulting team. He is also a Professor of Native American Studies and the President of the Michigan Indian Education Council. Martin’s research focuses on revitalizing relationships between humans and Indigenous plants and animals of the Great Lakes Region. He is also the lead singer and songwriter for Waawiyeyaa. Martin received his PhD in Educational Leadership from The Pennsylvania State University. His dissertation is titled A Comparative Socio-Historical Content Analysis of Treaties and Current American Indian Education Legislation with Implications for the State of Michigan.
Ramona
Tenorio, PhD
Latina | Jewish
Scientific Staff
Ramona contributes her expertise on culturally-responsive evaluation of community racial justice initiatives, as well as professional background in medical anthropology and geographic information system mapping. She is also the President and Founder of Broader Impact, a national research and evaluation firm. Ramona completed her PhD in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her dissertation is titled Medicina Del Barrio: Shadow Medicine Among Milwaukee’s Latino Community.
Jeremy
Braithwaite, PhD
Scientific Staff
Jeremy is a program manager for BPC's health and tribal law initiatives. He is the co-founder and owner of EvaluACT, a research and evaluation consulting service based in the greater Los Angeles area, specializing in culturally responsive evaluation, racial and health equity, and child welfare program evaluation. Jeremy also serves as a tribal research specialist for the Tribal Law and Policy Institute. He holds a PhD in Criminology, Law, & Society from the University of California, Irvine. His dissertation is titled Of Salmon, Spirits, Silence, and Steam: A Study of Sexual Violence in Rural Alaska.
Professional and Technical Staff
Betsy
Barnum, PhD
Editor
Betsy serves as BPC’s editor, offering copyediting and technical support for the many written documents produced at BPC. She also owns an editing business where she helps academics develop and polish their materials, including academic articles, reports, curricular documents, applications, and dissertations. Betsy holds a PhD in English from the University of North Dakota.
Kaitlyn
Meissner, MS
Luiseño | Cupeño
Project Manager
Kaitlyn is a project manager for BPC’s STEM and other educational initiatives. She specializes in software engineering, Indigenous research methods, statistics, and data science across a range of technical domains. Her mission is to employ her extensive technological expertise in service to Indigenous communities, enhancing their agency and enriching their resources. Kaitlyn received a Master of Science degree in Computer Science from Arizona State University.
Alison
Bowman, MPA
Stockbridge-Munsee
Operations Adviser
Alison advises on the operational, technological, and project management systems that run BPC, as well as supports BPC’s communications efforts. Alison is also a Co-Director of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research Clinical Program and an Associate Director of the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative. Alison holds a Master of Public Affairs from the La Follette School of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Allison
Monday, MA
Analyst
Allison provides analytical support for BPC's health equity evaluation and research initiatives including for Mathematica and the US Department of Agriculture. She is also a project manager for the Wisconsin Center for Education Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and previously served as an elementary school teacher for 20 years. Allison received a Master of Arts degree in Elementary Education from Viterbo University.
Larry
Bremner, CE FCES
Métis
Consultant
Larry provides Indigenous research and evaluation consultation to the Bowman Performance Consulting Team. He has worked with communities throughout Canada, as well as in Central and Southeastern Europe and Mongolia. Larry also served as a National President of the Canadian Evaluation Society. Larry holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Manitoba.
Benjamin
Sanchez-Sedillo, MS
Hispanic | Rarámuri
Project Manager | Analyst
Benjamin serves as a project manager and analyst for BPC's STEM, higher education, and community evaluation and research initiatives. He specializes in understanding the effects of xenobiotics on the molecular biology and genetics of organisms, and much of his work has aimed to understand these effects both on the individual and the population level. Ben also provides data visualization support and graphic design to many of the projects at BPC. Ben received a Master of Science degree in Molecular and Environmental Toxicology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dave
Farrell
Business and Facilities Manager
Dave brings 35 years of business, facilities, and fiscal management experience to BPC. He transfers skills and knowledge learned from the global trades and manufacturing sector to the innovative and nimble strategies most needed by BPC. Dave’s humility, distributive leadership style, and data-based decision making provide for a unique balance of logic and heart that go into his behind-the-scenes contributions at BPC. He is a respectful and caring family member, community contributor, and enthusiast of nature.
Tanaes
Washinawatok
Menominee
Administrative Support
Tanaes provides organizational and office support for the many operations at BPC. Prior to working for BPC, Tanaes worked for both the Menominee and Ho-Chunk Nations. She worked for more than 15 years in aging and long-term care, including as a supervisor for the Native American Caregiver Program. Tanaes has been trained as an Emergency Medical Technician, Certified Nurse’s Aide, and also as both a structural and wild land firefighter.
Eden
Huntington
Bad River | Menominee | Oneida
Executive Leadership Support
Eden provides executive leadership, organizational, and cultural design support for BPC. She returns to the team after having previously served in dual roles as both the office manager and project manager for several key evaluations. In her free time, Eden is also a traditional artist and also owns a traditional arts company, Holding the House Creative. Eden holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication and Leadership Studies from St. Norbert College.
Mildred “Millie”
Reserve
Pawsitive Support Animal
Millie is the first face to greet you if you visit the BPC office. Her primary job is to do meet and greet guests, take naps as often as needed, and eat snacks as often as she can. Millie also has the unique duty of encouraging staff to leave their desks and get moving outside. She’s an enthusiastic member of the BPC team who is always providing love, good energy, an open ear, doggy hugs, and wet kisses.
Advisers
Andrea
Guajardo, PhD
Cherokee | Tejana | Latina
Andrea provides expertise on community health, healthcare, and healthcare management to the Bowman Performance Consulting team. She is also an activist, community organizer, and the Chief Information Officer at Workforce Solutions Alamo. Andrea holds a PhD in Organizational Leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word. Her dissertation is titled En Sus Propias Palabras: Testimonios of Latinas in Elected and Appointed Office.
Jolene
Bowman, PhD
Stockbridge-Munsee
Jolene advises the Bowman Performance Consulting Team on American Indian education at the local and national level, as well as tribal sustainable development and nation building. She is also the Vice President of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. Jolene holds a PhD in Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service in Higher Education from Cardinal Stritch University. Her dissertation is titled Student Voices: A Phenomenological Exploration of Stockbridge-Munsee Student’s Experiences and Strategies Related to Persisting in Wisconsin Colleges.
Leah C.
Neubauer, EdD
Latina
Leah advises the Bowman Performance Consulting team on curriculum development, teaching, training, learning, and assessment. She is also an Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, and was the recipient of the 2020 Early Career Teaching Award from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH). Leah received her EdD in Adult, Continuing, and Professional Education from National Louis University. Her dissertation is titled The Critically-Reflective Practitioner: The Use of Collaborative Inquiry Methodology to Examine Cultural Humility in Evaluation Practice.
Michael Quinn
Patton, PhD
Michael is the author of more than a dozen books on evaluation, and served as a faculty member of the University of Minnesota for near 20 years and is a former president of the American Evaluation Association (AEA). Michael is an active speaker, trainer, and workshop presenter who has conducted applied research and evaluation on a broad range of issues and has worked with organizations and programs at the international, national, state, provincial, and local levels. He received his PhD in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His dissertation is titled Structure and Diffusion of Open Education as an Organizational Innovation: A Theoretical Perspective and an Empirical Assessment.
John
Tippeconnic, PhD
Comanche | Cherokee
John advises BPC staff on educational leadership, higher education, American Indian studies, and policy development and implementation. He has served in numerous leadership and professorial positions with Tribal colleges, the National Indian Education Association, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Pennsylvania State University, Arizona State University, and local Tribal organizations. John holds a PhD in Educational Administration from Pennsylvania State University. His dissertation is titled The Relationship of Teacher Pupil Control Ideology and Elementary Student Attitudes in Navajo Schools.
Charmagne
Campbell-Patton, MA
Charmagne serves as a project coordinator and analyst for BPC’s climate and human health evaluation with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Her professional experience spans fifteen years of program design, implementation and evaluation work across youth engagement, education, criminal and juvenile justice, and philanthropy. Charmagne holds an MA in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University’s School of International Service.