Who we are

Our Mission

PIE builds the capacity of mission-driven organizations to evaluate impact, promote learning, and facilitate equitable change.

Our Vision

PIE envisions a future where all organizations have the capacity to fulfill their missions, live their values, and serve their communities.

Our Values

 

Excellence

We use the best methods available to deliver impactful, useful, and innovative work that helps improve organizations.

We meet or exceed the highest standards of collaboration, quality, and consistency.

 

Integrity

We are honest, transparent, responsive, and confidential.

We make decisions based on what is ethically aligned with our values, not what is comfortable or easy.

We all hold ourselves and each other to a high standard that is worthy of the important work that we do/the important client partners we serve.

 

Continuous Learning and Improvement

We embrace change, always seeking to learn from and leverage it for improvement.

We prioritize learning and growth—for ourselves and our clients—that is intentional and ongoing.

PIE staff regularly collaborates and shares learnings.

 

Equity

Equity is an ongoing practice, by our organization and the individuals within, to ensure that our work enables: 

  • Clients’ abilities to live their mission, vision, and values  
  • PIE’s understanding of our partners and their equity journeys
  • Participation of stakeholders who have historically been less represented

 

Our Team

Nancy Plaskett

Nancy Plaskett

Executive Director

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Nancy is an executive management leader with diverse experience within the non-profit, education, and corporate sectors.  She is committed to disrupting systems of oppression, advancing equity, and facilitating transformative
change. She brings a range of experiences to PIE, including team management and development; evaluation and research; project management; consulting; program and partner relations; and, building operational efficiencies. During her free time, she loves to read, cook, travel, and visit new restaurants.

Keirstin McCambridge

Keirstin McCambridge

Director of Evaluation

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Keirstin has over a decade of experience in education, nonprofit management, program evaluation and social impact consulting. Possessing a master’s degree in Community Development and Action from Vanderbilt University, Keirstin is dedicated to enhancing organizational capacities, establishing continual learning systems, and centering the strengths of communities. In her free time, you can find Keirstin lost in her latest haul from the Chicago Public Library, taking walks around her neighborhood, or refining her dance moves.

Jennifer Loudon

Jennifer Loudon

Director of Strategic Planning

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Jennifer is a creative problem-solver and measured risk-taker, focused on driving innovative and sustainable organizational improvements.  She has worked as an evaluation and strategy consultant to nonprofit and government agencies since 1999 and has a deep passion for engaging staff and stakeholders to lead organizational change. 

She holds a master’s degree from the University of Chicago and enjoys hiking and travel and has the dirt from more than 30 countries caking her boots.

Francisca Fils-Aime

Francisca Fils-Aime

Senior Evaluation Coach

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Francisca earned her M.Ed. in Educational Research Methodology at Boston College and is currently a doctoral student at Loyola University Chicago.  As a Senior Research Associate at PIE Org, she applies her research knowledge by conducting data analysis and statistical testing for clients.  Francisca is passionate about international affairs and global peace and enjoys working on mixed-methods research and evaluation in her daily work.

Karen Shifflett

Karen Shifflett

Evaluation Coach

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Karen is an educator with over twenty years of experience in curriculum development, program evaluation, and capacity building primarily in Chicago’s under-resourced communities.  At the beginning of her career, she served as a classroom teacher and school leader, later transitioning to the nonprofit sector, using a person-centered mindset to guide program evaluation and professional learning in arts education.  In addition to her work, Karen finds joy in music, dancing, gardening, and dogs. 

Audrey Goold

Audrey Goold

Evaluation Coach

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Audrey has over 10 years of experience conducting research and evaluation in health and social service settings within the non-profit, local government, and corporate sectors. She is dedicated to tailoring person-centered approaches to understanding data, analytics, and context to inform impactful decision-making. Audrey holds two master’s degrees in Public Health Epidemiology/Biostatistics and Social Work from Washington University in St. Louis. Outside of work, you can find her covered in dirt from the garden, paint from the latest art project, or off exploring with her adventure pup.  

Elisa Cherry

Elisa Cherry

Research Associate

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As a Research Associate at PIE, Elisa supports project
management, data collection, and qualitative and quantitative analysis for multiple PIE projects that focus on education and community development. She is a licensed math teacher, has advanced Spanish proficiency, and holds a Master’s in Applied Economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Laura Watzke

Laura Watzke

Director of Operations & Administration

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Laura has worked at PIE since its inception, bringing with her the knowledge and background she developed early in her career in corporate finance and credit. She supports PIE’s work and growth behind the scenes by managing day-to-day operations and human resources/management responsibilities.

Laura coordinates the back-end functions of PIE, while aiming for effective communication with staff, clients, and vendors so that our team in the field is seamlessly supported. 

Board

Tania Rempert, Ph.D

Tania Rempert, Ph.D

Board President

Wendy Fine

Wendy Fine

Director BAM Research and Evaluation

Youth Guidance

Kimberlee Guenther, Ph.D.

Kimberlee Guenther, Ph.D.

Chief Impact Officer

United Way of Metro Chicago

Leanne Kallemeyn, Ph.D

Leanne Kallemeyn, Ph.D

Associate Professor of Research Methodology

Loyola University

Ellen Cohen

Ellen Cohen

Executive Director

Center for Health and the Social Sciences -University of Chicago

Bala Kattappuram

Bala Kattappuram

Vice President -Project Management

Invenergy

Kim Tyler

Kim Tyler

CFO

Humanity United

Kylia Kummer

Kylia Kummer

Executive Director

Thrive Scholars