Deborah Sartin
Director of Project Management Office

Deborah Sartin, Director of the Project Management Office, for Ripple Effect Communications, Inc. brings 15+ Years’ professional experience developing PMOs from inception to service delivery.  She is an accomplished leader managing enterprise technical and business projects for federal, corporate, education and non-profit organizations.  

Created and managed an Office of Business Excellence and several PMO Centers of Excellence to drive organizational maturity in strategic planning, process improvement, quality management, contract management, and project portfolio management  

Ms. Sartin received her M.S. in Management Information Systems from The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.  

Ms. Sartin holds CMMI Associate, ISO Certified Auditor, PMP, CSM, SAFe SM, Prosci, ITIL, CIPM, and Balance Scorecard certifications.

Early Work History  

1990s  

Ms. Sartin worked as a federal contractor to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) managing technical support and training.  She also managed technical support and training for Mead Packaging, a global manufacturing company.  In addition, she worked as a Project Manager for an international telecommunication firm, Global One where she launched call centers in the Americas. She has a breadth of experience in all aspects of technology services, shifting organizations from traditional service models to innovative transformational models.  

Recent Work History  

2000-2012  

Ms. Sartin managed projects in the banking industry and worked as a business process improvement analyst for a telecommunications firm.  In these roles she developed metrics to improve IT staff performance as well as processes and procedures for organizational efficiencies. She served as a Technology Support Manager for T-Mobile’s global call center. She delivered the best customer experience via outstanding customer relationship management.  She also worked as an account executive and technical recruiter for Robert Half Technology. Ms. Sartin is frequently requested as a guest speaker and trainer on project management and organizational change management topics.  

Current Work History  

In 2012, Ms. Sartin joined the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA) as their inaugural Project Management Office (PMO) Director. From the success of this role, she was promoted to the role of Director, Office of Business Excellence to lead strategic planning, process improvement and project portfolio management. After her tenure at ASHA, Ms. Sartin developed and expanded PMOs at educational institutions including West Virginia University, the University of Pennsylvania, Success Academy Charter Schools in NYC, and the Univ. of TN Health Science Center.  She also provided Project Management consultation services with a global consulting firm where she helped clients establish Agile project management best practices.  

Julie Lucas
Director of Human Resources

Julie Lucas has over 20 years of experience in human resources.  In the beginning of Julie’s career, she worked for a private company overseeing the human resources department for a healthcare company for 17 years.  She then moved into the government contracting space.  During her career, she has partnered with senior leaders to drive business results.  Julie is responsible for all aspects of human resources including strategy and operations, talent acquisition, performance & development, employee engagement, DE&I, benefits administration, workforce technology, and the overall employee experience.

Julie has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from University of Phoenix with a concentration on Human Resources Management.

Asher Beckwitt
Deputy Director of Research and Evaluation

Dr. Karen “Asher” Beckwitt received her Ph.D. in Anthropology from American University, with a specialization in qualitative methods. Dr. Beckwitt has consulted on over 5,000 qualitative and mixed-methods projects in health, medicine, education, and related areas. She has experience leading large and small multi-method research and evaluation projects and manages all aspects of these projects including research design, instrument design, sampling and recruitment, quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, dissemination (peer-review publications, technical reports, and presentations), project timelines, and budgets. During her time with Ripple Effect, Dr. Beckwitt has led components of several multi-method evaluations of NIH biomedical research programs for NIAID. She also managed four public comment analysis projects for CMS, supervising teams of up to 40 policy analysts and overseeing training, task coordination, quality assurance, and client communication. Prior to joining Ripple Effect, Dr. Beckwitt worked as the Lead Qualitative Research Consultant for her own research company and as the Qualitative Analysis Research Consultant for George Mason University, where she created a qualitative service for the entire university community. Dr. Beckwitt has authored or co-authored 37 technical reports, 6 peer-reviewed articles, and a book chapter. She has delivered over 40 presentations at professional conferences to present research findings and to train researchers in qualitative methods and software. She is proficient in Dedoose and an expert trainer in NVivo software systems used to organize qualitative data. 

Amy Hein
Vice President, Strategic Staffing and DoD Accounts

What does it mean to be the Director of Scientific Workforce?  

A lot of the work we do at Ripple Effect isn’t done at Headquarters; many contracts involve placing our people directly at client sites. So, I’m responsible for developing best practices for hiring and managing our employees at those client sites, like NIH and Fort Detrick. I also build close relationships with our clients and employees to ensure we find support that fits an agency’s culture and mission needs.  

What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role? 

Having limited face-to-face communication with the people I manage and support is a huge challenge. I can’t pretend to know what it’s like to be in their shoes every day. So, I listen. I understand their needs, empathize, and help problem-solve. There may be a physical divide between me and client sites, but I want my Scientific Workforce and clients to know I’m always there for them. 

What are some of your hobbies? 

I love to do anything active—I’m a runner and I coach my son’s sports teams. On the other hand, I love naps. On the weekend, you can find me taking a catnap to recharge for the next week. 

Fun fact about you? 

I was in ROTC! As a part of my program, I flew glider planes. Scary, but a big confidence booster.   

Advice to young professionals?

Do some soul-searching about what’s most important to you in your career—is it the work? The people? A company mission and culture? Then, find opportunities that move you down that path. If something is truly important to you, don’t take no for an answer.

Jessica Escobedo
Senior Director, Program Management and Policy

What does your day-to-day job involve?

It’s different every single day! I split my time between client support, staff support, and business development, so I get to identify and solve tricky problems all day long, which I love. Things are always evolving in science policy work, so you never know when politics or popular press may impact the work we’re doing. And it’s always fast-paced.

Why is science policy so important to Ripple’s business?

You could say that science policy is the heart of Ripple’s business. It’s where we started and how we grew our core capabilities into three unique, but interrelated divisions. Science policy work requires analytical skills, communication skills, and subject matter expertise, as well as exceptional project management, attention to detail, and practical, repeatable processes. These are the strengths that we bring to every client, every project, every time, and inspire our company’s core values.

What is a fun fact about you?

My husband and I met in an acapella group!

What advice do you have for those following in your footsteps?

Be open to opportunities around you. Some of the most wonderful things in my life happened because I talked with someone in an elevator or while waiting in line. Science policy is such a diverse field, that you never know who may help connect to you that next career step. If you’re willing to consider lots of possibilities, there are many paths to success.