PHILADELPHIA, PA – In an effort to better serve the public sector and enrich Fels students’ experience, the Fels Institute of Government Research & Consulting group has recently recruited an additional group of  experienced professionals to improve the depth and capacity of the practice. A new Director and three Senior Advisors were brought on to enhance the group’s internal operations and provide expertise in critical public sector issue areas.

Fels Research & Consulting combines the assets of the University of Pennsylvania and the Fels Institute of Government with the skills and knowledge of professional experts and high caliber graduate students to tackle innovative projects related to public policy and public management.

Late last winter, Fels hired Lauren Hirshon as Director of the Research and Consulting practice. “Lauren is already an immense asset to our program,” said Fels Executive Director David Thornburgh. “Lauren came to us from the Workforce Investment Board where she was highly successful in managing and furthering their adult workforce literacy efforts.  She has already significantly improved our group’s organization and communication, as has helped attract several exciting new projects.”

Three new Senior Advisors, Heather Gleason, Doug Lynch, and Marica Wilkof, were also recently brought on to join Sallie Glickman, who has been involved with the practice as a Senior Advisor for close to a year.

The Senior Advisors are a team of hand-picked seasoned professionals who will work together to lead new high-impact projects in collaboration with the Institute.  Each brings a wealth of experience, and expertise in public sector issues and in advising individuals and organizations on best practices to achieve their goals.

Management consultant Heather Gleason is a seasoned expert in technical grant management, program evaluation, group facilitation and stakeholder engagement for public and private organizations. Ms. Gleason previously served as an Associate on the Strategy and Organization team at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she earned several corporate recognition awards for outstanding contribution. She also formerly served as the Manager of Performance Management for Mayor Williams’ administration in Washington, DC.

Doug Lynch, PhD, is Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. Lynch is a leading figure in the field of educational entrepreneurshipand is the founder of NEST, Networking Education Entrepreneurs for Social Transformation. He created a partnership between the University of Pennsylvania and Teach for America to support the corps members serving in Philadelphia. At Arizona State University, he helped to start one of the first charter schools in the country.

Marcia Wilkof, PhD, is the founder of the consulting firm mvwGroup, and she has consulted for major private and public entities including Intel, Lockheed Martin, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia. Dr. Wilkof is also an Associate Professor in the Wharton School and a guest lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering. She has over thirty years of experience in helping organizations in the public and private sector operate more effectively.

Civic entrepreneur Sallie Glickman was the first Senior Advisor brought on by Fels in 2010.  She continues her involvement today in an even more vital role. This past year Ms. Glickman has helped restructure the group, recruit the other Senior Advisors, and select the Fels graduate students who are the current Associate Consultants. Ms. Glickman currently serves as the principal for SJM Strategy Formation, an independent consulting practice. She has extensive experience in building collaborations to address complex community challenges and expertise around human capital and workforce issues. Additionally, she is the founder of the Philadelphia Workforce Investment Board (WIB), a non-profit that aligns labor force skills to meet the needs of the region’s industry.

The Senior Advisors, in collaboration with the Senior Consultants, Fels Executive Director David Thornburgh, Lauren Hirshon and other Fels staff, will lead new projects and help expand the Fels brand.  “We’re looking forward to building upon the skills, knowledge and creativity of our team to provide expertise in more public sector fields, and to more widely publicize our findings and strategies,” said David Thornburgh.  

Fels Research & Consulting has a history of developing customized models and solutions to pressing social issues, ranging from training state-level executives on best practices in public management, to leading local civic engagement campaigns such as the MyVote1 campaign in 2004, to helping organizations like the Free Library of Philadelphia quantify their economic value to demonstrate their effectiveness and community impact.

Current projects include: advising the School District of Philadelphia on utilizing data to drive outcomes; developing a Neighborhood Revitalization plan for the Old York Road Corridor; compiling a “Promising Practices” manual on Sustainable Strategies for Small Communities; developing customized executive education programming for the National Association of State Chief Administrators (NASCA) on best practices for public leadership; and generating research and publication materials for Graduate! Philadelphia.

Fels Institute of Government will be highlighting and celebrating the success of its Research & Consulting practice throughout the year as part of its 75th anniversary activities.  

About Research and Consulting at the Fels Institute of Government

Founded in 1937, the Fels Institute of Government is the University of Pennsylvania’s graduate program in public policy and public management.  Originally established for the purpose of training local government officials, over time Fels broadened its mission; it now prepares its students for public leadership positions in city, state, and federal agencies, elective politics, nonprofit organizations, and private firms with close connections to the public sector.  Fels Research & Consulting marries the rich assets of Penn and the Fels Institute of Government with the expertise of seasoned professionals and the creativity of high caliber graduate students to tackle innovative projects related to public policy and public management. Its aim is to work with governments, public institutions, civic groups, and nonprofits to enhance their effectiveness and impact.

For more information about the Fels Research & Consulting, visit: http://www.fels.upenn.edu/consulting.