Dr. Carol F. Thomas / Chief Executive Officer

Dr. Carol Thomas is responsible for the overall planning, coordination, and management of Education Northwest. Prior to becoming the CEO in 2001, Thomas served as associate executive director of Education Northwest and supervised the directors of the organization’s 12 programs. Before coming to Education Northwest, Thomas held leadership positions at several other educational laboratories throughout the United States: the Southwest Regional Laboratory, the Midwest Regional Exchange, the Center for the Study of Evaluation at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development. Thomas received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley and has more than 30 years of experience in education.Phone: 503-275-9501

Steve Fleischman / Deputy Executive Officer

Steve Fleischman oversees the programmatic work of Education Northwest through direct supervision of the directors of its four Centers of Excellence. In addition, he facilitates the work of both the Executive Cabinet and the Management Council, the two top management structures within the organization. Before assuming the DEO position, Fleischman served as vice president of the American Institutes for Research (AIR), where he created and led a number of U.S. Department of Education-funded school improvement projects such as the Comprehensive School Reform Quality Center, the Supplemental Educational Services Quality Center, and the Scientific Evidence in Education Forums. He also provided senior leadership for AIR's National High School Center, What Works Clearinghouse, Doing What Works, and several Regional Educational Laboratory and National Science Foundation projects. Fleischman began his nearly 25-year education career as a middle and high school social studies teacher. After leaving the classroom he served as deputy director of educational issues at the American Federation of Teachers and as the founding executive director of the Education Quality Institute. Fleischman holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Florida.Phone: 503-275-9507

Center Directors

Dr. Robert Larson / Director
Center for Classroom Teaching and Learning

Dr. Rob Larson is the director of Education Northwest's Center for Classroom Teaching and Learning. Before joining Education Northwest, Larson was the director of the Oregon Leadership Network, a statewide initiative focused on improving instructional leadership, assessing leader performance, and enhancing equitable practices. He also served as the federal liaison for the Oregon Department of Education's State Superintendent of Public Instruction office. During his career he has served as a teacher, assistant principal, and instructional coordinator, and also directed Education Northwest's Science and Mathematics Education Program from 1992 to 1995. Larson holds an M.S. in Science Education from Oregon State University and an Ed.D. from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.Phone: 503-275-0656

Dr. Robert Rayborn / Director
Center for Research, Evaluation and Assessment

Dr. Bob Rayborn is the director for Education Northwest's Center for Research, Evaluation, and Assessment. His professional experience includes more than 20 years of service as a director of research for large public school systems. In 2000 he served as a senior director for Harcourt, managing California's STAR testing program, which tested more than 4.4 million students annually. In this position, his duties included oversight of psychometrics, item development, test administration, and scoring as well as contract management. He is the founder of TruNorth Research, a privately held company providing professional services and assessment related products to educators. He received a Ph.D. from Washington State University and an Ed.S. from the University of Idaho, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.Phone: 503-275-9587

Dr. James Kushman / Director
Center for School and District Improvement

Dr. James W. Kushman is the director of the Center for School and District Improvement. He directs a staff of 25 in the area of school organizational change. The Center develops school change models, district improvement processes, methods for using data for decisionmaking, and useful print and Web products for practitioners. His more than 20 years of experience in education includes applied research, program development, consulting, training, university teaching, and management. He has conducted studies and evaluations of whole-school reform models, including Onward to Excellence and Accelerated Schools, and completed a three-year study of rural systemic reform in Alaska. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a doctorate in organizational behavior from Claremont Graduate University.Phone: 503-275-9569

Dr. Eve McDermott / Director
Center for School, Family and Community

Dr. Eve McDermott is the director of the Center for School, Family, and Community. Her work experience includes a decade of community college administration and two decades of work with volunteer, community-based organizations. In her work at Education Northwest she has participated in numerous evaluation projects. McDermott's areas of expertise are in qualitative and quantitative research; after-school programs; and community college administration, organization, and program development. McDermott holds an Ed.D. in community college leadership from Oregon State University.Phone: 503-275-0757

Administrative Directors

Dr. Steve R. Nelson / Director
Office of Planning and Outreach

Dr. Steve Nelson is Education Northwest's administrator for the Office of Planning and Outreach. He serves as the executive director of the institution's regional educational laboratory contract. Since 1973, Dr. Nelson has supported Education Northwest's efforts by providing high-quality, third-party evaluation services, conducting research and development for improving educational outcomes in rural and Native American communities, and carrying out planning and quality assurance activities. Prior to joining Education Northwest, he worked as a research associate for the National Center for Leadership in Vocational Education. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Western Washington University, as well as both master's and doctorate degrees in educational research from Ohio State University.Phone: 503-275-9547

Joy Bell / Director
Finance Office

Joy Bell is responsible for the overall accounting, financial, and contracting functions of Education Northwest. Prior to joining Education Northwest, Bell's professional experience include more than 20 years of service in accounting and finance for small- to medium-size, privately-held government contractors. Most recently, she served as controller for Space Imaging, a defense contractor providing the first commercial one-meter resolution satellite imagery, whose shareholders were Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Systems. She also served as controller and acting CFO for a contractor providing desktop, network support and Web development, as well as in-flight and ground software development for multiple NASA contracts. Joy holds a bachelor's degree in business.Phone: 503-275-0690

Kathryn Hoyt / Director
Human Resources

As Human Resources Director, Kathryn Hoyt supports Education Northwest's efforts to provide competitive employee benefits and compensation, ensure the recruitment and retention of qualified applicants, and to comply with employment-related regulations. Her background includes more than 15 years of experience in human resources, working for large, publicly-traded companies, including Honeywell and AT&T, and for private and family-owned companies, one of which was deemed the fastest growing company in the state of Arizona for two consecutive years. She holds a bachelor's degree in business, a master's degree in organizational management, and an SPHR certification.Phone: 503-275-9513