Robin G. Jarvis, Ph.D., serves as Director of the Region 7 Comprehensive Center and leads the Implementation of Florida’s B.E.S.T. Standards project. She is Vice President of RMC Research Corporation and Director of the Tampa office, with more than 10... Learn more

Everett William Barnes Jr., Ph.D.,  is the principal investigator at the Region 7 Comprehensive Center. He began his career in education in 1965 as a high school history and civics teacher in rural New Hampshire. Dr. Barnes was a school... Learn more

Jack Schwarz is a project lead for the Region 7 Comprehensive Center and Co-Deputy Director. He assists the state of Florida in supporting school leadership teams to improve instruction for struggling students. Mr. Schwarz is a research associate at RMC... Learn more

Heidi Goertzen, Ph.D., is a research associate and Deputy Director at RMC Research Corporation’s Tampa Office. Dr. Goertzen focuses her work on providing evaluation, professional learning, and technical assistance at state, district, and school levels. In her role at RMC,... Learn more

Heidi Piatek is a Research Associate at RMC, providing technical assistance and evaluation to the Region 7 Comprehensive Center. She formerly served the National Association for the Education of Young Children, assessing early childhood programs throughout the country for over... Learn more

Dr. Jessica Sidler Folsom, Ph.D., Research Associate, is an education researcher and former special education classroom teacher and instructional coach. Her pedagogical approach is informed by culturally responsive teaching practices, and she is trained in coaching for equity. Dr. Folsom... Learn more

Sam Glickman is a Research Associate at RMC, providing technical assistance to the Region 7 Comprehensive Center. He formerly served the Florida Department of Education, leading programs for the Bureau of School Improvement and the Educator Preparation Unit. He also... Learn more

Diana Sharp is a Senior Research Associate at RMC Research Corporation. She supports the Region 7 Comprehensive Center’s work with Florida in PreK–3 literacy, and she also works with the Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Southeast. She served for three years... Learn more

Steven Dick, Ph.D., is a Research Associate with RMC Research, specializing in survey design, research methods, and evaluation of education programs. He is an experienced research manager, data scientist, and surveyor in social services and education initiatives. Dick formally provided... Learn more

Guillermo Farfan, Ph.D., is a Research Associate at RMC Research Corporation. Previously, he was a Visiting Assistant in Research at the Florida Center for Research in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (FCR-STEM) at Florida State University. He earned his Ph.D.... Learn more

Melinda Mollette, Ph.D., serves as a Research Associate for the Region 7 Comprehensive Center. She has more than 15 years of experience leading program evaluations and research projects for districts and non-profits across the southeast. She has experience providing technical... Learn more

Verónica Ruiz de Castilla, Ph.D., has extensive experience in the design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative data analyses: data and predictive analytics, statistical and econometric analysis, cost analysis, data visualization, and evaluation services. Before joining RMC, Verónica served as... Learn more

Shannon Lasserre-Cortez, Ph.D., manages evaluation projects for the RMC Tampa office and provides technical support, research, and evaluation services to a variety of education programs. Dr. Lasserre-Cortez serves as lead evaluator for the Region 7 Comprehensive Center (R7CC) and director... Learn more

Patricia Cox is a research associate with RMC Research Corporation and works with the Region 7 Comprehensive Center. She serves as the state liaison for Alabama. Her work in Alabama includes managing the Improving Student Excellence in Math project and... Learn more

Archie E. Hill, Ph.D., is a Regional 7 Comprehensive Center staff member and the Mississippi state liaison, supporting district and state staff in implementing and evaluating educational initiatives. He also supports the implementation of Florida’s new school standards and the... Learn more

Ruth Gumm is a research associate at RMC Research Corporation and serves on the literacy team at the Region 7 Comprehensive Center to assist Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi with evidence-based literacy implementation. She is project lead for the Florida Grades... Learn more

Kimilee Norman-Goins, Publishing and Communications Director, provides technical writing assistance in areas such as editing, digital content creation, social media management, and graphic design. At RMC, Kimilee directs quality assurance procedures and ensures that deliverables are error-free and highly shareable.... Learn more

Sarah Hughes provides support to the Region 7 Comprehensive Center’s Florida Standards Implementation project. She is a senior research associate at RMC Research Corporation with over 20 years of experience in working with state leaders to strengthen early childhood education,... Learn more

Carol Keirstead, Ed.D., senior research associate at RMC Research Corporation, coleads the Region 7 Comprehensive Center project to build capacity of the Mississippi Department of Education to improve teacher effectiveness, recruitment, and retention. She also is a member of a... Learn more

As the Office Manager, Daniel Mangialomini supports the Region 7 Comprehensive Center staff to deliver high quality services. Mr. Mangialomini has more than 13 years of experience working in several areas of industry, with much of his experience in the... Learn more

Kimberli McWhirter is a member of the Region 7 Comprehensive Center staff where she leads the Mississippi Grades 4–8 literacy project, providing support for sustainable innovations in evidence-based literacy instruction. She is also a member of the Florida Grades PK–3... Learn more

Erika Patterson is a web content editor for the Region 7 Comprehensive Center (R7CC). Mrs. Patterson edits and posts photos, articles, media, and information on the R7CC website. At RMC Research Corporation, Mrs. Patterson has provided technical and secretarial support... Learn more

As an administrative assistant, Darlyne Truitt, supports Region 7 Comprehensive Center staff with document and material production, web management, editorial assistance, and general office duties. Ms. Truitt has more than 15 years experience in office administration, staff development, instructional design,... Learn more