Associates

Echo Group associates have extensive experience in education, business and international development. All have lived and worked in developing countries for extended periods. They each bring unique talents and areas of expertise to the Group, along with access to the expertise of outstanding colleagues at universities, public schools, city and regional governments, and the private sector.

The Echo Group associates have worked together domestically and internationally over many years. They are drawn together by mutual respect and by a passion for the work they do and their commitment to provide practical assistance to the people and governments of host countries. Most are from rural communities, and they bring to projects the small town values of hard work, respect for others, and recognition that communities working together are stronger than individuals working alone.

They have designed and implemented projects for numerous agencies and organizations, including the US Agency for International Development, the Asian Development Bank, the Eurasia Foundation, and the US Small Business Administration.

Echo Group associates provide expertise as needed on both a short-term and long-term basis. Because of the Echo Group’s extensive experience in international work, they are able to design and implement projects quickly. Except in the most unusual circumstances, teams are in the field within four to six weeks of notification of award.

Michael Attwood – Information Technology
(Information systems; research design; data analysis)

Michael Attwood specializes in information technology systems in education and business. He wrote data analysis programs to identify patterns of abuse and fraud in withdrawals from ATMs as early as 1981 while employed by US Bank. He has over twenty years experience in computing in educational settings. He has provided hardware and software installation and maintenance; network domain installation, maintenance and security; scannable form design for data acquisition; data extraction; data analysis; and presentation graphics design. His programs have been described as “so user-friendly they walk up and shake your hand.” His training of others in computer use and maintenance is equally effective. Mr. Attwood’s avocations include performing as a professional musician, recording music at a professional level, both for his own group and for others, and organizing musical events and fundraising concerts.

Grace A. Balwit – Literacy
(Literacy and numeracy; reading instruction; curriculum development; teacher education)

Dr. Balwit has trained thousands of classroom teachers during her career as professor of teacher education. A specialist in reading and literacy, Dr. Balwit has worked with Native American children on reservations in the northern mid-West, taught in public schools, directed a reading clinic, as well as written and edited textbooks for Laidlaw Publishers. She has lectured widely on home schooling and on the learning process of children and adolescents. Her study of home schooling and its effect on literacy acquisition has served as a basis for home school curricula for the past decade. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Balwit established the first Cadet Teacher Program for The Echo Group in Okahandja, Namibia. In addition to training Grade 12 finishers to work as cadet teachers (i.e., teacher aides and tutors), she worked with licensed classroom teachers.

Terry L. Cornelison – Business Education
(Project management; SME and NGO development; agribusiness)

Terry Cornelison has 25+ years of general management, project management, consulting and training experience with private companies, nongovernmental organizations and governmental bodies in areas of marketing, management, finance, accounting, administration and human resource development, including 12 years of senior management experience with USAID-funded international development programs in Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Asia. He spent over ten years on the ground in Moldova, Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, and Mongolia working closely with local professionals, industry leaders and government officials. An experienced and capable manager, Mr. Cornelison has held the positions of primary responsibility for the successful design and implementation of multiple USAID and USDA funded international development projects focused on rebuilding agricultural and non agricultural SME private business sectors, attracting investment, developing markets, and effecting policy reform, while strengthening civil society. He speaks and writes Romanian and Moldovan. Mr. Cornelison earned a BA in Marketing from Southeast Louisiana University and an MBA from the University of Idaho.

Lisa Marie Cramer – International Development Education
(Development education; ESL; grantsmanship)

  Lisa Cramer has spent the past ten years working with international students in American higher education.  As Director of International Admissions at Roger Williams University she initiated the RWU International Scholarships and the opening of the honors program to international students.  At Washington State University, Ms. Cramer provided coordination of small business development training programs for students from emerging democracies of Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.  She has extensive experience in diversity awareness workshops and trainings for schools, businesses and governmental organizations.  Ms. Cramer holds a BA in International Relations and MA in International Development Education from the University of Minnesota.

James Dufala
(Community Development; Alternative Education; Vocational Education)

James (Jim) Dufala has served as Director of the Kauai (Hawaii) Chapter of Habitat for Humanity and has seen to the construction of homes and community shelters in the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters.  He has taught construction at the community college level, and he has owned and managed his own construction company and other small enterprises.  From 1993 through 1997 he initiated and developed a community revitalization plan known as the “Russian Economic Model” in Ivanovo, Russia.  He has vast experience working under adverse conditions, both in private enterprise and as a temporary hire of FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Administration) on numerous occasions.

W. Scot Headley – Distance Learning
(Vocational education; leadership education; agricultural education)

Scot Headley has been designing curriculum for and teaching and leading internet-based distance education efforts for eight years. In particular, his efforts have connected educators in rural areas to professional development opportunities.  He has presented at numerous national and international conferences on the topic.  His work in this area stresses the need for community building in distance education. He has conducted assessments of agricultural education in public schools of Namibia, and he continues a research interest in the status of educational policy changes in post-apartheid Africa. He directs the Department of Educational Foundations and Leadership at George Fox University. He holds a Ph.D. in Comprehensive Vocational Education from The Ohio State University.

Wojciech Kozlowski – Business Education
(Marketing; logistics of distribution; agribusiness)

Dr. Kozlowski received a master's degree in economics from the College of Economics of the Nicolaus Copernicus University at Torun and Ph.D degree in economics from the College of Management and Administration of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn (UWMO). He is a faculty member in the Department of Food Industry Economics at UWMO. He has studied in the US and the UK... He is director of the Executive Master of Agribusiness Management program, a joint endeavor of the College of Management and Administration of the UWMO and the Department of Applied Economics of the University of Minnesota. He is a member of the Polish Economic Society and Scientific Society of Organization and Management. His primary research interests are in marketing and management with special emphasis on the logistics of distribution.

Roy O. Kruger – Evaluation
(Research design and methodology; outcome assessment; data analysis)

Dr. Kruger specializes in program evaluation, educational research, and data analysis. He holds MBA and Ed.D. degrees. A strong business background coupled with years of experience in evaluating education programs allow him to recommend cost-effective designs and implementation plans for new and existing programs. He manages the Evaluation Unit for Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, providing services to public and private schools throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Kristi Jo Lewis – Educational Policy
(Democratic education; leadership education; public policy)

Ms. Lewis has extensive experience working in developing countries in Africa. She has worked on organizational development and capacity building initiatives for numerous non-profits, the United States Peace Corps and as a Fulbright scholar. Her interests include democratic education and educational leadership training. She holds a Master’s of Public Administration in cross-cultural management and a Master’s of Educational Policy from Portland State University. Ms. Lewis has classroom teaching experience in the US and in Africa.

Natalya Makushkina
(Public Opinion Surveys; Marketing Research; Human Resource Management; Marketing of Innovations)

Natalya Makushkina is an associate professor in the Faculty of Economics at Siberian Federal University Institute of Management, Economics and Environmental Studies.  A specialist in designing, conducting and analyzing public opinion surveys, she has vast experience in assessing societal attitudes in periods of transition.  She has served as an intern at the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago and in 1999-2000 received a Junior Faculty Development Program Fellowship from the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State (ECA).

James McCullough – Business Education
(International marketing; strategies for SMEs; marketing in the development of the private sector)

Jim McCullough is Director of the School of Business and Leadership and the Jewett Distinguished Professor of International Business at University of Puget Sound. His primary research interests are in the areas of international marketing, international strategies for small business, and the role of marketing in the development of the private sector. Dr. McCullough received his BS and MS degrees in Food Science from the University of California at Davis, his MBA in Marketing from the University of Houston, and his Ph.D. in Marketing and International Business from the University of Washington. Professor McCullough taught at Washington State University from 1984 through 2002 and has also taught at National University of Singapore and Thammasat University in Thailand. He was a Fulbright Scholar at Marien N’Gouabi University in Congo and at Maejo University in Thailand. He has served as consultant to governments and businesses in more that 60 countries and has published more than 100 books and articles. His work has appeared in journals such as the Journal of Marketing Research, the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Global Marketing, and the Journal of International Marketing.

Mickey J. Mullay – Business Education
(Project management; management education; business development)

Mick Mullay has over a twelve-year history in Eastern Europe and Central Asian countries working with business, business development, and business education programs. He has designed and directed projects funded by the World Bank, USAID, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and other agencies. For the last six years, Mr. Mullay has served as Chief of Party for projects focused on enhancing the capacity of Ukrainian educational institution’s to assist business leaders of today and prepare entrepreneurs and the work force of tomorrow. In the USA, Mr. Mullay designed training programs for investment departments and investment service departments of brokerage houses and savings and loans. He served as marketing director of an insurance support firm and ran his own consulting company. Language skills include a working knowledge of Russian and elementary Ukrainian.
Mr. Mullay holds a BS degree from Oregon State University and an MBA from Portland State University. He serves as a board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine and is Chairman of the Board of Junior Achievement Ukraine. He also serves as an Advisory Board Member for the EURASIA Foundation in Ukraine.

Carol B. Riesenberg – Health and Business Education
(Allied health education; SME development; project evaluation)

Ms. Riesenberg is Dean of Heath and Environmental Sciences at Spokane Community College and the former State Director of the Washington Small Business Development Center. She holds MBA and JD degrees and has over twenty years’ experience in SME development and assessment. Ms. Riesenberg has served on several national committees of the ASBDC (Association of Small Business Development Centers) and is recognized as a leader in business counselor certification and SBDC accreditation. Ms. Riesenberg has conducted evaluations of privatization projects in Romania and business development projects in Russia. In 1993 she was chief-of-party of the Washington State University Management Training and Economics Education project in Romania. Prior to becoming State Director of the Washington SBDC, Ms. Riesenberg directed the Office of Research, where she conducted primary and secondary research projects in business and community development. She established the annual Small Business Forecast, now in its nineteenth year, and used by government officials and policy makers in the State of Washington. In addition to her expertise in SME development, Ms. Riesenberg’s experience in allied health and health care education make her an invaluable asset in the development and implementation of health care improvement programs in developing countries.

Jerman Rose – Business Education
(Entrepreneurship; SME development; franchising)

Jerman Rose is Associate Dean of the School of Business at Washington State University, Pullman, Washington. He administers programs for student education and assistance to start-up firms in Washington state. He concentrates on research and teaching in issues related to small and medium sized enterprises and innovation management. He also serves as Director of the Economic Development Administration-sponsored University Center. This project provides university research and services to promote economic development in economically distressed counties of the state. He managed operations of four service companies, and was co-founder of an international franchising company doing business in 35 states and Canada. He has lectured on franchising and other SME topics in Russia, Romania, Thailand, China, Vietnam, Bolivia, and numerous other countries.

Cesar Scarlat – Business Education
(SME development; regional economic development; SME counselor training)

Dr. Scarlat is the founding Executive Director of the Center for Business Excellence (CBE) at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. The mission of the CBE is to support the local economic development and modernization of higher education in Romania, providing a wide range of educational and business services (counseling, training, research and information, human resource services at an international standard, using the most advanced American and European expertise. Mr. Scarlat has studied in the US and several countries in western Europe. He is a specialist in SME development in emerging democracies and is a frequent speaker at international conferences. He holds a Ph.D. in management.

Maxson Sherman- Agricultural Education
(Entrepreneurship; vocational education; agribusiness)

Max Sherman is Instructor of Agriculture Science and Technology at Tillamook High School. Mr. Sherman also advises the FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter. He holds bachelor and master degrees in agricultural education from Oregon State University as well as a master’s degree in entrepreneurial education from the University of Delaware. He holds certification in Vocational Agriculture, Basic Biology, and Professional Technical Education. In 1997 he was the recipient of Intel’s Innovation in Teaching award, and in 2001 was named the Oregon FFA Agri-Science Teacher of the Year. His programs are known throughout the Pacific Northwest as innovative, learner-centered and entrepreneurial. He has successfully transferred aspects of his programs to southern Africa, helping establish practical training in agricultural education as an essential adjunct to the classroom training.

Radu Stanciu – Business Education
(SME counselor training; human resource management; marketing)

Dr. Stanciu holds a PhD in management and associate professor status at Politehnica University of Bucharest. He is a specialist in SME development and is recognized as one of the outstanding counselor trainers in Romania. He has provided training and counseling services to projects of USAID, PHARE, and the British Know-How Fund in Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. He is the founder of the Association of Professional Consultants and Business Development Specialists. Professor Stanciu’s specific areas of interest are human resource management and marketing. He is a certified Master Business Counselor.

Brent S. Steel – Public Policy
(Environmental policy and politics; public administration;

Brent Steel has taught seminars and workshops on public policy, environmental politics and policy, and public administration at several sites in Russia, Nepal, Israel, and numerous countries of western Europe. He is the recipient of numerous awards for outstanding teaching and research, including four Oregon State University Distance and Continuing Education Course Development Awards. He has worked closely with rural communities in the Pacific Northwest as they address public policy issues dealing with the environment, rangelands, forests, and other natural resources. He serves as an adviser to the Oregon League of Cities. He holds a Ph.D in Political Science from Washington State University.

Michael Stoica – Business Education
(Marketing; entrepreneurship; strategies for SMEs)

Dr. Stoica's professional, research and teaching interests are in strategy, entrepreneurship, and international business. He received his MBA and Ph.D. in Business Administration from Washington State University and also holds a Ph.D. in Engineering from the Institute for Atomic Physics, Bucharest, Romania. He is currently associate professor with Washburn University School of Business and director of the Center for Entrepreneurship. During 1998-1999 he was a visiting professor at DePaul University in Chicago. He also taught and conducted research at Washington State University and University “Politehnica” (Polytechnic) Bucharest, Romania. He is a Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst Fellow, Darmstadt Technical University, Germany and a Coleman Foundation Associate. He co-authored four books and manuals and over 30 papers. His professional experience includes training and consulting with: USAID Programs in Romania, the Romanian Power Authority, Eli Lilly, Cooperative Housing Foundation, Land O’ Lakes, and VOCA/ACDI. He is co-founder and partner in several businesses.

Elena Shostak - Public Relations and Community Development
(Public relations; legal aspects of public/private cooperation; international relations)

Ms. Shostak represented the city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia in international relations for a decade and served as press secretary for the mayor for another five years.   She was a principal author of the city’s Program for Positioning Krasnoyarsk in Russia and the World, the public relations strategy for the city of one million.  In 2008 she started her own PR firm, specializing in marketing, promotional strategies and video production.
 
She has studied in the US and in several countries of Western Europe and has visited countries  throughout the world as the city's spokesperson. An attorney by  training, she is a specialist in community development and public/private partnerships as a focal point in economic development.  In addition to her expertise in business recruitment, she is a  specialist in public relations and business promotion.  Ms. Shostak is fluent in English and Russian.

Robert L. Tolar – Higher Education
(Project management; leadership education; interinstitutional cooperation)

Bob Tolar has over thirty years experience in public and private education as faculty member, dean, executive vice president/provost and director of international programs in small business. He has owned and operated successful small businesses in the United States and Canada. Tolar has the distinction of being the first Fulbright-Hays professor named to the Somali Republic where he served as adviser to the minister of education and taught teacher education courses at the Istituto Universitario della Somalia. His international experience has included designing, directing and managing multi-million dollar business and higher education development projects in Romania and Russia, funded by the US Agency for International Development. He has conducted project assessments in Africa, Asia, South America and Europe. He designed and directed two successful EDDI (Education for Democracy and Development Initiative) projects in Namibia. He has taught courses in SME development in Romania, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine. He is also a member of the Scientific Council (Board of Directors) of The Black Sea University of Romania. He has research interest and expertise in interinstitutional cooperation and academic consortia. He holds a Ph.D. in higher education from the Center for Educational Policy and Management of the University of Oregon.

Katherine (Kate) Yocum – International Education
(Literacy; second language acquisition; teacher training)

Ms. Yocum has taught in Africa, Latin America and the US, specializing in literacy and second-language acquisition at the primary and middle school levels.  In addition to classroom activities, she has trained teachers in methods to teach reading, specifically to second-language learners, and established the first BEAR (Be Enthusiastic About Reading) program in Africa for the Echo Group.  A former Peace Corps Volunteer in Eritrea, Ms. Yocum has first-hand experience in issues of rural education in developing countries. Ms. Yocum holds a BA from Tufts University, a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and an Ed.M. in international education from Harvard University.