Who We Are:
Meet the Dovetail Team
Chuck Fisher, PhD
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Meri McCoy-Thompson, MALD
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Bryan Clement, MEd
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Kristie Cannady
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Cheryl Parker
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Lydia Jensen
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Ashley VanBezooyen
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Nina Thompson
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Board of Directors
Di Hall is an experienced senior executive with over 30 years leading technology organizations. She has been part of five successful technology startups in the Boston area, with four IPOs and one acquisition by IBM. She served as COO for Sequoia Consulting Group in California for almost 2 years before retiring from high tech at the end of 2018 to focus full time on non-profit interests.
As Executive Vice President at Carbon Black, Di was part of the team that successfully scaled it from 40 to over 750 people worldwide with $100M revenue in six years. She also served as the Vice President of Operations and Customer Success for the web security software company Watchfire and Chief Operating Officer at Viant, a high growth Internet professional services firm scaling from 20 to 800 people worldwide in four years. Additionally, she served in various senior management roles at Cambridge Technology Partners and Easel Corporation.
Di has a passion for community service and has always been involved in nonprofit activities during her corporate career. Over an 8 year period Di helped to lead the transformation of her local community food pantry from a grass roots to professional organization, restructuring the board and helping to raise $1.4 million to purchase and renovate a new building, creating a more dignified experience for their clients.
Di graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from University of Massachusetts. She has been honored with the 2016 Boston BRAVA Female Leadership Award and as a 2015 Rev Boston Honoree and Member. One of my favorite things to do is build communities,” says Di. “I’ve done this through building high‑growth technology companies, but also through coordinating groups of people with shared passions, desires or challenges.” Her greatest accomplishment has been “raising two amazing daughters who continue to inspire me to be the best ME I can be!”
As Executive Vice President at Carbon Black, Di was part of the team that successfully scaled it from 40 to over 750 people worldwide with $100M revenue in six years. She also served as the Vice President of Operations and Customer Success for the web security software company Watchfire and Chief Operating Officer at Viant, a high growth Internet professional services firm scaling from 20 to 800 people worldwide in four years. Additionally, she served in various senior management roles at Cambridge Technology Partners and Easel Corporation.
Di has a passion for community service and has always been involved in nonprofit activities during her corporate career. Over an 8 year period Di helped to lead the transformation of her local community food pantry from a grass roots to professional organization, restructuring the board and helping to raise $1.4 million to purchase and renovate a new building, creating a more dignified experience for their clients.
Di graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from University of Massachusetts. She has been honored with the 2016 Boston BRAVA Female Leadership Award and as a 2015 Rev Boston Honoree and Member. One of my favorite things to do is build communities,” says Di. “I’ve done this through building high‑growth technology companies, but also through coordinating groups of people with shared passions, desires or challenges.” Her greatest accomplishment has been “raising two amazing daughters who continue to inspire me to be the best ME I can be!”
In addition to her decade of support for Dovetail Learning, Debbie has a deep understanding of nonprofit management. She is most passionate about social and economic justice, and her education and experience encompass the nonprofit, for profit, and government sectors. She has worked with diverse populations including: immigrants, refugees, youth at risk, handicapped, elderly, victims of rape and domestic abuse. She is president of the Women's Legacy Fund and on the board of the Global Center for Cultural Entrepreneurship. She as appointed by Governor Bill Richardson to reform and reorganize the New Mexico’s economic development department.
Debbie earned her PhD from the University of Oklahoma with a dissertation on “The Management of Nonprofit Organizations” and she has an MPA from John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG), Harvard University, where she organized a conference entitled, “In Service to Democracy: Exploring the Non Profit sector.” She also has a MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University.
Debbie earned her PhD from the University of Oklahoma with a dissertation on “The Management of Nonprofit Organizations” and she has an MPA from John F. Kennedy School of Government (KSG), Harvard University, where she organized a conference entitled, “In Service to Democracy: Exploring the Non Profit sector.” She also has a MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University.
Clint possesses over 25 years of experience providing Human Resources and Operations support for global high technology companies. He has served as Vice President of Human Resources for companies such as Hitachi Data Systems, nCUBE Corporation, Pacific Broadband Communications and Entera. In these roles, Clint focused on HR strategies (talent acquisition, organizational development, compensation, and employee relations), liquidity events, mergers and acquisitions, internal communications and community relations programs. Clint serves in an advisory capacity at the board level for several for-profit and not-for-profit firms. Clint has consulted with over 450 companies in the areas of Talent Acquisition, Performance Management, Leadership Development, and Strategic Planning. Clint's specialty is in the area of 'Leadership Performance Systems'; partnering with leading companies to find executive talent and develop their leadership skills for sustainable performance. Clint holds an MBA in Human Resources and has been awarded certificates in Strategic Planning from Harvard Business School and the University of Michigan. Clint has been certified in the use of visual graphic tools and advanced facilitation from the Grove Consultants International and is a certified coach with the Management Resources Group Leadership Executive Assessment and Sales Professional Assessment methodologies.
Rachael believes “if we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow” (Dewey). An ever-changing educational landscape requires vision, growth, commitment, and humility. Student success calls for a unifying, coherent vision where every member of the school community is valued and empowered. Rachael’s work focuses on supporting districts as they establish effective systems to support their learning communities. Before coming to SCOE Rachael served in public, private, and charter schools. She has worked as a superintendent, principal, education consultant, and teacher. As a consultant, Rachael delivered numerous presentations and professional development throughout California and coauthored the writing program Writing By Design. She holds a B.S. in English Education and History Education, a M.A. in English, and is enrolled in the education doctorate program at UC Davis. Away from work Rachael enjoys reading, hiking, and spending time with her husband and three daughters.
Advisory Board
Robert Frager, PhD Founder, Sofia University/Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA
Ammar Saheli, Ed.D Director Student Services, San Lorenzo USD, CEO Saheli7 Consulting, San Francisco, CA
Marilyn Schlitz, PhD Dean, Sofia University/ITP; Former President/CEO, Institute of Noetic Sciences
Ammar Saheli, Ed.D Director Student Services, San Lorenzo USD, CEO Saheli7 Consulting, San Francisco, CA
Marilyn Schlitz, PhD Dean, Sofia University/ITP; Former President/CEO, Institute of Noetic Sciences
Strategic Partners
Cradle to Career of Sonoma County Dovetail Learning is a proud thought partner of Cradle to Career of Sonoma County. In order to make a difference in the lives of children, youth, and young adults in Sonoma County, we must think differently about the systems that impact them.
Cradle to Career Sonoma County is a partnership comprised of leaders representing education, non-profit, government, business and the community at large. Cradle to Career promotes and expands educational opportunities from birth to career with the goal of preparing all youth for success. Child Parent Institute (formerly California Parenting Institute) Dovetail Learning has been in collaboration with CPI since 2009 providing services to local school districts in Santa Rosa, CA. Child Parent Institute has a strength-based philosophy and uses both proven evidence-based and innovative practices to help and heal children, educate and support parents, and enhance parent competency. |