Leadership

Co-Chair

Julie Poncelet, PhD.

Independent Evaluation Consultant
Action Evaluation Collaborative & Lecturer
School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
julie.poncelet@gmail.com

Julie designs and implements evaluations both within the U.S. and internationally with an emphasis on participatory action learning approaches and focuses on the areas of social justice, youth activism, and gender equity. 

Co-Chair

Ross VeLure Roholt, PhD.
Associate Professor
School of Social Work, University of Minnesota
rossvr@umn.edu

Ross' work focuses on the meaning and experiences of youth engagement, especially around youth involvement in community, social, political, economic development both within the U.S. and internationally. His interest includes both understanding experiences of engagement as well as the policies, programs, opportunities, and practices that support youth engagement on public issues young people personally care about. 
Program Co-Chair

Nick Petten, MA
Evaluator & Researcher
Petten Consulting, Toronto, Ontario
nick@pettenconsulting.com

Nick is a researcher, consultant, and evaluator with over 10 years of experience working with culturally diverse populations. He is primarily concerned with how to meaningfully and ethically involve children and youth in research and program design.

Program Co-Chair

Jimmy Frickey
PhD. Student
j.e.frickey@gmail.com

Jimmy is currently a PhD student with over 20 years of experience working with youth in the US and Canada. Evaluation and youth both remind him to keep learning. Being relatively new to Canada, he is currently learning to play hockey.

Communications Co-Chair

Pia Saunders Campbell

Director of Assets, Strategy & Knowledge
International Youth Foundation
p.campbell@iyfnet.org

Pia is a non-profit strategic leader with 20 years’ experience in the nonprofit and private sectors. She has worked in the youth economic opportunity and emergency response fields in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the USA. Ms. Campbell holds a BA from The Johns Hopkins University and a MPA from the Wagner School of Public Service at New York University.
Communications Co-Chair

Lexis Manzara, MSBH
Sr. Manger Program Evaluation and Systems
Peer Health Exchange
lmanzara@peerhealthexchange.org

Lexis is an internal non-profit program evaluator whose work focuses on the meaningful engagement of stakeholders, particularly young people, at all stages of evaluation. She is interested in the use of digital tools to facilitate innovation in evaluation, youth advocacy, and mental health equity.

Katera Brown
Research Assistant
Catalyze Evaluation
katera@catalyze-eval.com

Katera studies at Metropolitan Community College and in her spare time volunteers in her community and does photography. Katera’s connections throughout Omaha help create new organizational allies to better understand the needs and experiences of Omaha youth and young adults.

Christina Olenik, PhD.
Vice President Youth Development
Making Cents International
christy@makingcents.com

Christy has designed, implemented, and evaluated holistic youth programs for multiple donors, local governments, and private foundations in the US and internationally.
Christen Pentek, MSW
Performance Measures Specialist and ETPL Administrator
Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED)
University of Minnesota
christen.pentek@state.mn.us

Christen’s work serves Minnesotans learning about the intersections of learning and sustainable economic outcomes, including investments in quality learning as a part of a lifelong career. Currently, they are focused with the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), recognized postsecondary credentials, and research on effective levers for equitably supporting marginalized populations to advance a healthy economy for Minnesota.
Monica Ruiz Casares, PhD.

Assistant Professor
Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry
McGill University & Scientific Advisor/Investigator at SHERPA
monica.ruizcasares@mcgill.ca

Monica conducts policy-relevant research and evaluation related to child wellbeing and protection, child participation, and ethics and methods in doing so with young people in Canada and in the Majority World.