LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE
Dominic Combs
Leadership Committee Member
Dr. Combs is a Clinical Assistant professor of Evaluation Research and currently serves as the Deputy Director of the Office of Evaluation at The University of Alabama. Accordingly, as a practitioner-scholar, his research interests focus on culturally responsive trauma-informed care clinical programming in underserved communities. Driven by a Culturally Responsive Evaluation vision for evaluation, Dr. Combs's evaluation background has provided him with repeated opportunities to work on various NSF grants using mixed method approaches, including qualitative and evaluation methods. Dr. Combs uses mixed methods to develop, implement, and sustain programming in K-12 and post-secondary settings focused on behavioral health and STEM programming in the Alabama Black Belt Region, emphasizing broadening participation and retention among members of traditionally under-represented groups.
Jana Fredricks
Chair
Jana Fredricks is a program evaluator and nonprofit management consultant based in her home town of New Orleans. She works with nonprofit organizations in the education and cultural sectors to build systems, define goals, craft strategy, and measure progress. She has supported environmental education organizations, higher education, museums, theatres, and advocacy groups across the US, with a special focus in New Orleans, Pittsburgh, and New York City. She holds a BFA in Theatre from New York University, a Masters in Innovation and Organization in Culture and the Arts from Universitá di Bologna, and a Masters in Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
In addition to her role on the GC Eval Leadership Committee, Jana stewards a community garden in the 7th Ward, sits on the Organizing Committee of the Greater New Orleans Growers Alliance, and produces small-scale theatre experiences for new works.
Michelle Lawrence Bidwell
Treasurer
Michelle is an Evaluation and Development professional in the Greater New Orleans Area. She is a New Orleans native and proud alumna of Xavier University at New Orleans. She holds a Masters of Public Health from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and is currently a doctoral student in their Community Health Sciences program. Her personal mission is to dismantle systemic disparities, uplift communities, and lay a foundation for a culture of equity through education, data, development, and collaboration.
She has almost a decade of experience in research, evaluation, and grants, working on projects in the fields of breast and cervical cancer, pharmacology, nutrition, high-risk youth, law enforcement, veteran reintegration, education, and recidivism among the previously incarcerated. Michelle is currently the Director of Impact and Evaluation at Bastion Community of Resilience, the nation's first intentional community for veterans and families, where she leads the organization's grant and evaluation systems and has worked to secure millions of dollars in funding. In 2021, she will be transitioning into a new leadership role at a national development firm.
In addition to these roles, Michelle is on the leadership committee of GCEval and the founder of Granted Advisors, a consulting firm focused on helping new non-profit organizations reach their grant funding and program evaluation goals. Michelle resides in an historic African American neighborhood in NOLA with her husband and two rambunctious toddlers.
Shannon Sharp
Secretary
Shannon is an Evaluation Associate at the University of Mississippi's Center for Research Evaluation (CERE). Though born and raised in Baltimore, MD, Shannon has been a southerner since leaving for college. She completed her Bachelor's in Psychology and Ph.D. in School Psychology, both at the University of Tennessee. After two post-docs in Durham, NC, she served as a PK-12 School Psychologist for 8 years in Walton County School District in GA.
Since moving to Oxford, MS in 2015, she served as the Associate Director of the UM's Psychological Assessment Clinic before switching careers and delving into evaluation at CERE. Now, over six years later, she applies her understanding of education, and especially higher education currently, to various projects with funders such as NIH, NSF and private foundations.
Erica C. Spears, PhD, MA
Vice Chair
Erica is the Director of Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) for Louisiana Public Health Institute. In her role, she leads LPHI’s MEL Team in delivering culturally responsive and racially equitable evaluations. Additionally, she directs the organization’s strategic planning and impact measurement efforts.
As a native New Orleanian, Erica relishes opportunities to use her professional skills to improve health outcomes in the place she has always considered home. For more than 15 years she has been a public health leader and health equity champion whose professional experiences include program, evaluation and research experiences in the non-profit, governmental and academic sectors.
Erica earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Education and a certificate in advanced research methods from Texas A&M. She completed postdoctoral training at the Center for Health Ecology and Equity Research at Auburn University. Erica also has a Master’s in Speech Communication from the University of Houston and Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication from Louisiana State University.
Elizabeth Sweeney
Leadership Committee Member
Dr. Sweeney is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Center for Research Evaluation, where she works in the Children, Families, and Communities portfolio. Her professional background includes academic publishing, community development and engagement, and K-12 and higher education. She is grateful to continue to work in these areas as an evaluator to advance positive strides in her home state of Mississippi.
She has a PhD in Education and Master’s and Specialist degrees in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Mississippi, and a BA in Religious Studies from Millsaps College. In addition to her leadership role with GCEval, Elizabeth serves as managing editor for New Directions for Evaluation and Journal of Rural Social Sciences.
Albion Sumrell
Leadership Committee Member
Albion Sumrell is an Educational Consultant, supporting educational institutions and nonprofits with
program development and evaluation. He has worked with schools, colleges, and non-profits as an
administrator, teacher, counselor, and advisor. Through these professional experiences, he has gained a
more comprehensive understanding of the needs and challenges of the PK-16+ educational pipeline,
especially as it relates to college and career preparation.
Albion received his B.A. in Psychology and French Studies from Emory University and his M.Ed. in School
Counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University. He recently graduated with his Ph.D. in
Educational Administration from the University of New Orleans. He is dedicated to researching and
developing effective practices for guiding youth and adults towards lucrative college and career
opportunities.