The Team

We have assembled an extraordinary team

Dare Mighty Things is a Veteran-Owned Small Business that was founded and is led by President and CEO David Van Patten, a graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and well known author, lecturer and entrepreneurial activist in social initiatives.

Our team represents a wealth of intellectual capital and experience in social sciences, human services, business, not-for-profit, government, and military leadership. The entrepreneurial and professional ingenuity of a combined 500+ years of thought leadership and action are embodied in our senior management and staff.  Independent consultants serving as DMT Associates provide subject matter expertise in variety of important areas.

Corporate Management
David Van Patten, MPA, President and CEO
Jim Seevers, MBA, Senior Vice President
John White, MSF, Director, Finance and Administration

Professional Staff
Denise Adams, Accounting Manager
Amber Armstrong, Associate Multimedia Designer
J. Jacqueline Bessette, MA, Analyst
Alicia Bowen, Senior Management Specialist
Mark Burgess, Information Technology Manager
Nicholas Bush, JD, Senior Consultant
Cristy Cardoso, Executive Assistant
Daniel Daughtry-Weiss, MM, Consultant
Scott Jacob, Associate Systems Analyst
Lauren Hudson, Associate Analyst
Flora Kuhrt, Associate Accountant
Sarah Leonard, Consultant
Karen Morton-Clark, Associate Consultant
Harley O'Brien, Senior Multimedia Analyst
Jacqueline Pearce Garrett, MBA, Project Manager
Catherine Plourde, Talent Manager
Brian Sales, MPS, Senior Consultant
Vincent "Butch" Schuck, Associate Consultant
Jennifer Walper Roberts, MPA, Senior Project Manager
Chad Weikel, MA, Consultant
Kathryn White, MSW, Consultant

Associates
Roger Allen, MA, MS, Senior Consultant
Karen Baetzel, MA, Senior Consultant
Lisa Barnes Lampman, Senior Consultant
Jennifer Buck, Senior Consultant
Rhett Butler, MA, Senior Consultant
Holli Carpenter, Consultant
Randall Conrad, MBA, Senior Consultant
Julie Golkowski, MA, Consultant
Ted Kehr, Senior Consultant
James Murray, MA, MS, Senior Consultant
Melissa Neman, Ph.D., Senior Consultant
Pierre Perez, Consultant
Dawn Pilkington, MS, Consultant
Jean Rhodes, Ph.D., Senior Consultant

David Van Patten, MPA
President, CEO

Dave Van Patten founded Dare Mighty Things in 1991 to help public sector entrepreneurs launch large scale social programs that impact high risk populations. As President and CEO, Dave fosters relationships with key stakeholders and guides the life cycle of all client engagements. His expertise has been instrumental in the development of dozens of programs impacting hundreds of thousands of vulnerable children and adults in nearly every state and several countries of the world. As a result, Dave has received national accolades for program innovations in mentoring high-risk populations, prisoner rehabilitation, new venture creation, and building faith-based organizations. Dave received his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the United States Coast Guard Academy, and earned his Master of Public Administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Dave has authored numerous reports, articles, and books, and has lectured at Harvard, Princeton, and other universities in social entrepreneurship, not-for-profit management, and volunteer management.

Jim Seevers, MBA
Senior Vice President

Jim’s thirty-six years of performance management experience touches all aspects of Dare Mighty Things projects. His primary contributions continue to be in program development and management, including strategic planning, organizational development, performance-based analysis, and change management. His experience with initiatives for vulnerable populations includes training and technical assistance for positive youth development, programs for military families and veterans, and capacity building for providers of faith- and community-based services. Jim has twenty-eight years of federal government experience, including service as the Manpower and Personnel Director for U.S. forces throughout the Pacific region. He has developed innovative methods and tools for successful outcome-oriented and process-based results in the public, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. Jim earned a BS in political science from the United States Air Force Academy and an MBA with a focus on management science from Louisiana Tech University.

John White, MS
Director of Finance and Administration

John White has more than thirty years of experience in corporate accounting, financial services and technological consulting. This unique blend of experience in these fields is evidenced throughout his efforts with Dare Mighty Things. As director of finance and administration, he is responsible for corporate accounting and financial reporting (including government compliance), information technology and human resources. John earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and his Master of Science in Finance from Bentley College.

Professional Staff

Denise Adams
Accounting Manager

In addition to seven years as a Deltek Systems conversion consultant, Denise has over fifteen years of corporate accounting experience in the Project Engineering Services, Defense and CRO industries. In these roles she has experience with audits, Deltek GCS and Costpoint ERP accounting systems, implementation, and business process improvements to meet or maintain compliance with GAAP, SOX, CAS & FAR including audits by CPA, IRS, DCAA, DCMA, and DFAS. She earned her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Accounting from the University of Lowell – Umass.

Amber Armstrong
Associate Multimedia Designer

Amber has attained four years of professional experience in the fields of Information Technology, Website Design, Website Development and Graphic Design before joining the Creative Solutions Learning team at Dare Mighty Things.  Amber offers a wide breadth of both personal and professional knowledge stemming from many years of being an active and integral part in the evolution of her small community and its families. She focuses her high energy and forward thinking to each project, to produce exceptional results for each individual client.  Proficient in all of Adobe’s design, web based, and interactive products, Amber creates and designs end to end solutions with standards compliant code with emphasis on cross platform browser compatibility, interactivity, accessibility, and search engine optimization. Amber designs and implements animation and interactive media that provides clients with paramount products in the leading and ever growing technology industry.  She is also fluent in CSS coding language as well as HTML and XHTML.

J. Jacqueline Bessette, MA
Analyst

Jacqueline Bessette is a learning and development specialist with experience in instructional systems design and training program facilitation. She brings great knowledge to our team in the areas of communication, education, and training. As a member of the Creative Learning Solutions team, Jacqueline contributes to the analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of client products. She served as training coordinator for Tamayo Consulting, Inc., where she specialized in presentation training, leadership development, and teambuilding and also taught public speaking at San Diego State University (SDSU). Jacqueline is an active member of Toastmasters International, serving as the Vice President of Public Relations for her local chapter and winning multiple speaking awards. She earned her BA in communication from Bryant University in Rhode Island and her MA in communication studies from SDSU.

Alicia Bowen
Senior Management Specialist

Alicia Bowen’s years as owner of a home-building business give her access to understanding the practical side of business while also enabling her to appreciate the abstract qualities that create success. Not only does she possess an in-depth knowledge of business, but she also has a keen interest in technology and its central role in today’s progressive business culture.  Alicia provides superior customer service and technical assistance to our National Guard clients. With a flair for organization, Alicia understands the importance of order and process, and relies on these skills to assist in the day to day management of the DMT office. She also coordinates travel and event details in support of more than forty National Challenge Institute events each year. She is on hand to cordially and efficiently host the dozens of events that take place at DMT’s state-of-the-art training facility in Portsmouth, NH, and she successfully manages the production, organization, and transport of materials and multimedia for numerous events conducted around the country.

Mark Burgess
Information Technology Manager

Mark Burgess has eight years of experience in the information technology and web development initiatives. He brings the rare combination of strong customer service skills with a broad understanding of web and information technology subjects to Dare Mighty Things. Mark provides high level consultation on technical and web related issues. He develops, manages and supports all web product and e-learning resources and develops tools to help end-users with best practices in website design and administration. Mark has been on staff at public school systems in New Hampshire, and also in a private university. Among his many accomplishments, Mark was selected by the university leadership to travel to China to evaluate their technology state for proposed partnerships. Mark is an Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT), and is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Science in Business Management.

Nicholas Bush, JD
Senior Consultant

Nick possesses more than a decade of high-impact experience in management consulting, business development, and organizational leadership. His diverse exposure across multiple industries in the public and private sectors give him a unique business perspective and a cross-functional skillset. His focus is on cultivating dynamic client relationships that produce measurable results. A veteran of the United States Navy, Nick holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Maine School of Law, a Bachelor of Arts with honors in Political Science from the University of Southern Maine, and is a decorated public speaker.

Cristy Cardoso
Executive Assistant

Cristy brings experience in creative marketing, public communication and administrative roles to Dare Mighty Things. She has worked in the promotional marketing products industry as a production coordinator and graphic designer; most recently she served in an administrative, marketing and communication role at the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. Cristy has the ability to manage multiple projects in a fast paced environment while delivering quality results. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art from Keene State College and has completed professional development coursework in social media marketing and website maintenance from the University of New Hampshire.

Daniel Daughtry-Weiss, MM
Consultant

A proven leader in performance management, Daniel Daughtry-Weiss has helped public/private partnerships demonstrate results for more than 13 years. Daniel has been involved in the development and design of performance management systems for more than thirty federal housing and social service programs. Daniel's leadership in the design and development of a comprehensive program management information system helped Dare Mighty Things to earn the Contractor of the Year award from the DHHS's Administration for Children and Families, the Federal government's largest grant making agency. Most recently, Daniel designed and implemented a OMB-approved web-based data collection system that captures comprehensive data from grantees and their subrecipients.

Lauren Hudson
Associate Analyst

Lauren spent fifteen years in marketing, business management, executive assistant, and analyst roles and has experience with e-learning development, proposal writing and management, graphic design, and financial management. Lauren’s eye for detail ensures high quality in all project ventures. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University of New Hampshire, with minors in Business Administration and Architecture, and has completed graduate coursework at Emerson College in Boston.

Scott Jacob
Associate Systems Analyst

Scott solves management and operational problems using cost effective technology solutions. Through creative implementation of data management, user interface, data processing and analysis, and knowledge management systems, Scott provides clients with significant value using their existing platforms, whether it is Microsoft Access, Excel, SQL Server, Visual Basic for Applications, SharePoint or Documentum. Scott graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from George Mason University in May 2009, and expects to pursue formal education in business process reengineering.

Flora Kuhrt
Associate Accountant

Flora has more than twenty-five years’ experience in government contracting. She has proven expertise in accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, billing, and all journals and ledgers. She has the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and bring each to a successful completion on stringent deadlines. She is proficient with a wide variety of accounting, spreadsheet, database, and word processing software, including Deltek GCS.

Sarah Leonard
Consultant

Sarah Leonard has been educating, training, and coaching in the fields of nonprofit management, organizational development, education, health, and youth development for thirteen years. In her varied work as a classroom teacher, teacher trainer, and nonprofit consultant, she has had a life-long commitment to improving opportunities for high-risk youth. As a capacity builder to several emerging nonprofits in Washington, D.C., Sarah facilitated a wide range of customized training and technical assistance to nonprofit partners. She built organizational capacity and cultivated nonprofit leaders with an end goal of creating better communities for the youth of the city. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Gustavus Adolphus College and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa, working with schools in the rural village of Dithakong.

Karen Morton-Clark
Associate Consultant

Karen Morton-Clark is an experienced event planner with extensive expertise in program management and development, hospitality sales, marketing and public relations. She has over thirty years of experience working with high-risk populations in the area of substance abuse prevention and health education in both corporate and community settings. Karen utilized this experience when she served as Coalition Director for the Dover Police Department, where she managed all aspects of an event drawing 10,000 attendees. This event was designed to heighten awareness of substance abuse prevention and strengthen ties among youth, families, civic agencies and businesses. Karen holds an Associate of Science in Fashion Merchandising and Retailing, a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and is a Certified Mediator.

Harley O'Brien
Senior Multimedia Analyst

With almost two decades of IT development and management experience, Harley is skilled at integrating technology, communications, and marketing. His background in Marketing and Communications gives him a special edge when it comes to web projects and multimedia applications, areas that usually require not only technical expertise but also design and visual skills. Before joining DMT as senior multimedia analyst and technology lead for the CLS division, Harley was an independent consultant with clients ranging from Fortune 500 firms, such as HP and Phillip-Morris, to non-profit agencies, such as the United Nations-International Labor Organization.

Jacqueline Pearce Garrett, MBA
Project Manager

As a project manager at Dare Mighty Things, Jackie has led a range of projects from training workshops to print publications to website development. As the project manager for the Strengthening Communities Fund National Resource Center, Jackie leads a team that provides training and technical assistance to federally-funded intermediaries working to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations across the country. In addition, the team provides in depth performance management consulting for federal clients. Jackie oversaw the development of a resource library for capacity builders which includes more than fourty e-learning modules and guidebooks on topics like sustainability, partnerships, and outcome measurement. Jackie holds a Bachelor's degree in English and Economics from the University of Maryland, and Master of Business Administration from the George Washington University.

Catherine Plourde
Talent Manager

Catherine's passion for excellence and appreciation for people has driven her career in both not-for-profit and corporate arenas for the past two decades. Accomplished in communication, written, verbal and visual realms, her experience in human resource management, project development and marketing serve to fortify Dare Mighty Things' efforts in meeting client needs. As part of our corporate branch, Catherine's execution features her versatile fast-acting style to assist us in achieving and maintaining our people advantage in support of our clients and our personnel. A member of the Society for Human Resource Management, Catherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications with a minor in Political Science from the University of New Hampshire.

Brian Sales, M.P.S.
Senior Consultant

Brian has worked with youth service organizations for almost twenty years. He brings extensive practical knowledge of best practices in youth development from working with homeless youth, middle and high school aged students in after-school settings, at community centers, foster care and high school mentoring programs. Brian provides on-site technical assistance to grantees and serves an internal subject matter expert on mentoring. Additionally, he has direct experience providing strategies to first-generation college students. Brian earned a Bachelor of Arts in History from Hobart College and a Master of Professional Studies in Africana Studies from Cornell University. He also completed certification in Advancing Youth Development (AYD) Training and Mentor Program Coordination from the Maryland Mentoring Partnership.

Vincent “Butch” Schuck
Associate Consultant

Butch spent more than four years as a Marine Corps Reservist, followed by engagements as a counter-terrorism intelligence team leader and program manager for Threats to Higher Education with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. He has additional experience as a private boarding school dean, sales consultant, and as Segway Inc.’s north american sales manager for police and government business. His combined experience in consulting, client relationship management, education, program management, and the military, provide him with unique cross-functional knowledge and insight into the educational, public, and private sectors.

Jennifer Walper Roberts, MPA
Senior Project Manager

Jennifer has managed over twenty mentoring and internship programs for young people of color, both in New York City and London, and enhances Dare Mighty Things’ strength with more than a decade of experience developing and implementing mentoring and training programs to help close achievement and income gaps. Jen specializes in working across sectors and institutions to develop a shared sense of commitment toward assisting young people as they strive to realize their potential. Her experience includes working with a wide range of organizations, including community-based organizations, residential foster care agencies, schools, major corporations and investment banks. Jen graduated with two Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Maryland: one in Government and Politics and one in Spanish. She holds a Master of Public Administration from the City University of New York at Baruch College, and a Certificate in Mentor Program Supervision from the Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America-Fordham University of Social Work. Additionally, she completed the Community Leadership course from the NYC Citizens Committee for Children.

Chad Weikel, MA
Consultant

Chad Weikel is a seasoned project manager with a background in instructional design and training. His experience with the United States Anti-Doping Agency included presenting health education to Olympic athletes, coaches and trainers, parents, and youth in sport. His broad experiences in curriculum development include single print marketing flyers, healthy sport curriculum units for high school and middle school classrooms, public service announcements with a national reach, and clean-sport websites targeting 15-19 year old student athletes. He is a consultant for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), including leading grief groups for teen survivors, conducting mentor trainings, serving as a peer mentor, and creating a national grief-support program for Battle Buddies. He is also a board member for the Knights of Heroes, a summer camp for boys who have lost their fathers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned his BS in Health and Exercise Science from Colorado State University, and MA in Education, Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Phoenix.

Kathryn White, MSW
Consultant

Katy White is committed to her work assisting with the mentoring programs we support. Currently Katy is supporting the creation of statewide mentoring coalitions through the Amachi Mentoring Coalition Program as the Training and eCommunity of Practice Task Leads. With Caregiver’s Choice, she led child enrollment and supported child outreach efforts, working with vulnerable populations. Katy received her Master’s degree in social work from Monmouth University, and her Bachelor of Arts in social work with a minor in Spanish from Christopher Newport University. Katy has years of experience in both national and international community service, having participated in and led programs in Honduras, Costa Rica, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. Her customer service and interpersonal skills are evident as is her passion for helping those in need.

Associates

Roger Allen, MA, MS
Senior Consultant

Brigadier General (RET) Roger L. Allen was the founding Director of Michigan Youth ChalleNGe Academy in February 1999 and remained the Director until 14 October 2010. He is a retired educator with experience teaching regular education and vocational education and he has administrative experience as a High School Principal, Special Education Director, and Alternative High School Principal. His military career spans over three decades with the Active Army and the Michigan Army National Guard. He retired as a Brigadier General of the Line in 2004. Roger holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Strategic Studies, from the United States Army War College; Masters of Arts Degree in Education from Central Michigan University with additional course work and certification as a secondary school counselor; and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Michigan State University.

Karen L. Baetzel, MA
Senior Consultant

Karen is a sought-after national consultant, trainer, writer, and award-winning motivational speaker. After a thirty-year career in the United States Navy as one of its most senior female aviators, Karen transitioned to successful engagements in the corporate, academic, and non-profit world. The former program director at Dare Mighty Things, Karen founded BattleAxe Consulting Services, headquartered in South Florida and serves a nation-wide client base in corporate and government leadership development and homeland security and defense consulting. She is a professional member of the National Speakers Association and former newspaper columnist. Karen is the co-author of several books, including a recent collaboration with Deepak Chopra and Jack Canfield. Karen holds a Master’s Degree in national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College, where she is also a visiting professor.

Lisa Barnes Lampman
Consultant

With more than twenty-five years of experience in the political, public, and non-profit sectors, Lisa Barnes Lampman is a proven, results-oriented leader and organizational strategist. In her role as senior consultant, Lisa provides Dare Mighty Things with support for its work on the Compassion Capital Fund National Resource Center. Lisa has worked for U.S. Secretary of Education Lamar Alexander as a special assistant, and, in the non-profit sector, she has served as vice president of Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM), an international ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners, and their families. She also was founder and president of Neighbors Who Care (NWC), a subsidiary organization of PFM that was the first national crime victim assistance ministry in the U.S. As a consultant, Lisa has come alongside non-profit, church, and public sector leaders to facilitate the design of realistic strategic plans, formulate fundraising strategies, and develop new program models for implementation.

Jennifer Buck, MBA
Senior Consultant

Jennifer Buck retired from thirty-five years of federal service in October 2009. She served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs (Resources) since July 1994. Jennifer was the key advisor to the assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs in all financial management and resourcing matters relating to the Reserve components. She was also responsible for the nationwide management of two at-risk youth programs: National Guard Youth ChalleNGe for high school dropouts, and DoD STARBASE, a science and math enrichment program for elementary school children. Jennifer was a key contributor to the creation of the radical policy changes in the department that have occurred since 9/11, and the establishment of an operational Guard and Reserve. Since her federal retirement, she has begun an independent executive consulting business, and she is the executive advisor to the Gap International Institute for Government, a subsidiary of Gap International.

Rhett Butler, MA
Senior Consultant

Rhett Butler brings fourteen years of Federal government and consulting experience into helping Dare Mighty Things create new public-private partnerships, with a focus on workforce development strategies that target vulnerable populations. As a consultant, Rhett works closely with clients to strengthen their capacity to engage government officials, pursue federal funding opportunities, and achieve their public policy goals. After working on Capitol Hill for more than seven years, he spent the next five and a half years at the White House and U.S. Department of Labor developing national programmatic and policy solutions to help at-risk populations overcome barriers to employment, find jobs, and stay employed. Rhett earned a Master of Arts in government from Johns Hopkins University, a graduate-level certificate from the U.S. Naval War College, and a Bachelor of Arts in international politics from the Pennsylvania State University.

Holli Carpenter
Consultant

Holli Carpenter joins the DMT team with a lifetime of military experience. She brings a diverse skill set to her engagements, with talents that include creation of surveys and needs assessments, data analysis, and extensive knowledge of the Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program (YRRP). In 2009, Holli served on the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Geographically Dispersed Task Force, where she traveled to YRRP events and interviewed YRRP coordinators, service members and their families. Prior to focusing her career interests on military family consulting, Holli spent more than ten years working in childhood education, managing learning centers, and coaching families on fine tuning parenting skills both in one-on-one sessions and group lectures. Holli graduated cum laude from Georgia Southern University with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education, and a minor in psychology.

Randall Conrad, MBA
Senior Consultant

Randy is a decorated twenty-two year veteran of the Unites States Air Force with expertise in leadership management and development training. As a senior member of our training staff, he brings a wealth of knowledge to the leadership development, education, and training arena. He has served as the director of an Air Force Airman Leadership School and as an instructor at an Air Force Non-commissioned Officer Academy, as well as the elite Department of Defense Equal Opportunity and Management Institute. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Management from the University of Phoenix, and achieved a Master of Business Administration in March of 2009.

Julie Golkowski, MA
Consultant

Julie Golkowski has been working with youth and their families for over 25 years as a counselor in a program for H.S.dropouts, psychotherapist, supervisor, consultant, clinical coordinator of residential programs for youth, and as Director of Child Adolescent and Family Services in a community mental health center. She received her MA in Counseling from New York University and then received a Professional Diploma in Marriage and Family Therapy from Hofstra University. She has been an adjunct faculty member of University of New Hampshire and Antioch University. Julie has been a statewide and national presenter at conferences covering topics in the fields of resilience, trauma, post traumatic stress disorder, child and adolescent sexual abuse, suicide prevention, and the neuroscience of brain development as it relates to attachment theory. She's has also trained and supervised clinicians in evidenced based practices in children's mental health, in mindfulness based stress reduction and in adolescent substance abuse. She's trained and supervised direct care staff in therapeutic mentoring.

Ted Kehr, MS
Senior Consultant

Ted Kehr offers facilitation and training to several Dare Mighty Things and National Challenge Institute course offerings, both in Portsmouth and around the nation. He completed more than forty years of meritorious service in the U.S. Army and the New Hampshire National Guard, and retired in 2002 at the rank of Colonel. His civilian background, which includes fifteen years in public education at the secondary and collegiate level, allows him to excel as he continues to lend his collaborative skills to strategic initiatives within the DMT practice. He earned his Bachelor of Science from Findlay College in Ohio, and his Master of Science from Indiana University in Bloomington.

James Murray, MA, MS
Senior Consultant

Captain Murray is a decorated twenty-seven year veteran of the United States Coast Guard with extensive expertise in coastal command and operations. As a member of our adjunct faculty, he taps over twenty years of his experience in leadership development, education, and training. He has served on the faculties of the United States Coast Guard Academy, University of New Haven, Naval War College, and most recently as Department Head at the Naval Academy Preparatory School where he led a faculty team in the development of performance-based curricula for at risk students. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at the United States Coast Guard Academy, Master of Science in Operations Research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Master of Arts in National Resource Strategy from the National Defense University.

Melissa Nemon, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant

Melissa Nemon has an extensive background in program/project management, strategic planning, performance measurement, impact assessment, monitoring and evaluation, and research methodology. Professionally, she has worked closely with nonprofits, for-profits, and government entities both advising and implementing impact modeling, logic models and frameworks, socioeconomic investment impact assessments, and community-based outcomes through evaluation. Academically, she has developed and taught program/project management, research methodology, and evaluation courses for graduate-level university programs. As a consultant, Dr. Nemon focuses on projects that seek to make better communities, address social issues, and create access to knowledge and resources in order to improve social conditions. She holds two Master’s degrees (Community Social Psychology; Community Economic Development) and a Ph.D. in Community Economic Development.

Pierre Perez
Consultant

Pierre Perez brings eight years of military experience and eleven years of experience with the National Guard Youth ChalleNGe Program’s Alaska Military Youth Academy to his role as a consultant on DMT’s training efforts through the National Challenge Institute (NCI). With five years as a mental health specialist in a behavioral systems hospital, Pierre is well-equipped to provide training to ChalleNGe staff. Pierre is certified as an American Red Cross First Aid and CPR instructor, a certified Crisis Prevention Institute instructor, and he has received the Leadership Award at the Rehabilitation Training Instructors Course.

Dawn Pilkington, MS
Senior Consultant

Dawn’s career has been dedicated to designing and implementing human services and community development programs for high-risk populations. Dawn has directed complex human services programs and technical assistance centers in government, nonprofit and consulting environments. Her focus is on leading teams in the design, integration, and delivery of high quality, high impact services that demonstrate results. Dawn has extensive experience in nonprofit capacity building, community and stakeholder engagement, collaboration and partnerships and consensus building. Dawn earned a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Knowledge Management from George Mason University’s School of Public Policy.

Jean Rhodes, Ph.D.
Senior Consultant

Professor Rhodes completed her Ph.D. in clinical/community psychology at DePaul University and her clinical internship at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. She is a Fellow in the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research and Community Action, and a Distinguished Fellow of the William T. Grant Foundation. Rhodes is also a member of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Research Network on Transitions to Adulthood and Chair of the Research and Policy Council of the National Mentoring Partnership. She sits on the Board of Directors of the National Mentoring Partnership and the Forum for Youth Investment on the Advisory Boards of many mentoring and policy organizations, and serves on the editorial boards of several journals in community and adolescent psychology. Her book, Stand by me: The risks and rewards of mentoring today's youth (Harvard University Press) was published in 2002.