Kate Williams, MSW, PMP, is the Senior Director of People and Operations at Ripple Effect, where she brings nearly two decades of experience in project and program management, business operations, and cross-functional team leadership. She oversees company-wide operational processes, staff development, and strategic initiatives that drive efficiency and foster a high-performing, collaborative culture. Kate also provides coaching and technical assistance, ensuring Ripple Effect’s teams deliver consistent, high-quality support to federal, foundation, and nonprofit clients.

Before joining Ripple Effect, Kate held a series of progressive leadership roles supporting child welfare and data management initiatives. From 2005 to 2009, she worked with a federal consulting firm supporting the Children’s Bureau, rising from project coordinator to Data and Technology Director for the Child and Family Services Reviews (CFSR) Project. In this role, she led the operations and help desk for over 3,000 external users, managed web-based systems, and oversaw data collection and analysis for nationwide child welfare reviews. She was recognized as an Emerging Leader by JBS International and earned her PMP certification in 2012. From 2017 to 2022, she built and launched a Project Management Office (PMO) for another consulting firm, establishing consistent project management standards across all departments. Kate holds a Master of Social Work (Management & Community Organization) from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Margie Beaudry, MA, is the Deputy Director of the Program Management & Policy Division at Ripple Effect, where she leads the company’s Public Comment services. Since 2018, she has directed more than 50 federal public comment projects, overseeing a team of over 80 healthcare and policy analysts, project managers, and coordinators to ensure high-quality reviews, timely deliverables, and responsive client communication. In addition to managing large-scale comment analysis contracts, Margie serves as a subject matter expert across Ripple Effect projects, lending her expertise in psychometrics, behavioral health research, quality improvement, performance management, change leadership, and strategic facilitation.

With more than 38 years of experience spanning federal policy, healthcare, public health, and research, Margie has worked across government, corporate, community, nonprofit, clinical, and academic settings. Before joining Ripple Effect, she held leadership and research positions at the Public Health Foundation, the Advisory Board Company, Drug Strategies, the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health, and Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sharon Nakhimovsky, MA, PMP, is the Deputy Director of the Communications and Outreach Division at Ripple Effect, where she oversees program operations, cultivates high-performing teams, and drives business development initiatives. She directs a diverse portfolio of integrated communications and partner engagement projects, providing leadership across website management, strategic communications planning, social media and email marketing, media relations, research, change management, events, analytics, instructional design, and creative services to help clients amplify their reach and impact.

Before joining Ripple Effect, Sharon was the Associate Director of Corporate Communications at a biopharmaceutical company developing COVID-19, RSV, and influenza vaccines, where she led global branding and media strategies, supported the company’s public launch in 2021, and advanced its reputation in vaccine R&D. Earlier in her career, she worked at Abt Associates as a strategic communications and health policy specialist, delivering communications, policy analysis, stakeholder engagement, and technical assistance for clients including CMS, CDC, VBA, and USAID.

Moira Ragan is the Director of the Research and Evaluation Division at Ripple Effect, where she leads a team of researchers and analysts in designing and delivering mixed-method research projects and program evaluations for federal clients. She oversees the division’s staff and project portfolio, ensuring high-quality technical reports, clear data visualizations, and practical, actionable recommendations that help clients make informed decisions. Moira also provides methodological guidance, coordinates staff training and professional development, and serves on Ripple Effect’s Technology Review Board, where she reviews policies and new initiatives to support effective client delivery.

Before joining Ripple Effect, Moira was a Senior Evaluation Associate and Research Associate at the Center for Research Evaluation (CERE) at The University of Mississippi. She has extensive experience as a consultant, advising on study design and statistical analysis for projects spanning healthcare, education, and other sectors. Throughout her career and advanced studies in Educational Research and Evaluation, she has managed research and evaluation efforts, developed and validated data-collection tools, and delivered evidence-based insights to support clients’ program improvements and strategic goals.

David P. Baker, PhD, is a Senior Director and Account Lead at Ripple Effect, where he provides strategic leadership and oversight for health-related projects. He specializes in quality improvement, learning systems, payment policy, and quality measurement, ensuring Ripple delivers impactful solutions to clients in the healthcare sector.

Before joining Ripple Effect, David served as Senior Vice President of the Health Policy Divisions at the American Institutes for Research and IMPAQ International, LLC. He is best known for leading the research team that designed AHRQ’s TeamSTEPPS® training program and overseeing its national implementation for nearly a decade, training thousands of healthcare professionals in the U.S. and internationally. He holds a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and was a founding faculty member at the Virginia Tech Carilion Medical School. A fellow of Division 14 of the American Psychological Association, he received the division’s Distinguished Professional Contributions Award in 2019 for his work in team training and research.

Chandra Cohen-Stavi, PhD, MPA, serves as the Deputy Director of the Research and Evaluation Division at Ripple Effect, bringing over 15 years of expertise in healthcare research, epidemiology, and program evaluation. In her role, she collaborates closely with the division director to oversee project execution and team management, maintain key client relationships, and contribute to business development strategies. Her focus is on delivering actionable insights through her expertise in observational study design, mixed methods approaches, and clinical outcomes evaluations, aimed at informing healthcare programs and policies, improving quality of care, and guiding product development.

Before joining Ripple Effect, Chandra was a Senior Epidemiologist at OM1, where she led clinical effectiveness research in Neuroscience and Mental Health, contributing valuable real-world evidence to inform pharmaceutical product strategies. She also served as a Research Scientist at the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), working on federal government agency contracts, and overseeing the development of quality measures in behavioral health and care management for older adults. Her previous work with Israel’s largest healthcare delivery organization shaped national vaccination policy and supported decision-making for programs and healthcare delivery.