Our Team

Senior Staff

Margaret (Peggy) O’Brien-Strain

Dr. O'Brien-Strain is the President, Principal Associate, and an owner at Mission Analytics Group, Inc. Her current work focuses on health care services delivery, child and family policy, and developmental disabilities. Across a wide range of projects, she provides expertise in statistical modeling, program evaluation and technical assistance, as well as writing for non-technical audiences.

Edward (Ed) Kako

Dr. Kako is an owner and Managing Associate. His current work focuses on approaches to rebalancing long-term care, so that individuals with disabilities can spend their lives in their communities, among family and friends, rather than in institutions. Dr. Kako has served as Project Director for a range of projects for federal agencies under the federal Department of Health and Human Services, including the Administrator for Community Living, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. He has also served as Project Director for a range of projects for Colorado's Department of Health Care Policy and Financing. His work has included policy analysis, technical assistance, cost modeling, and program evaluation.

Vicky Wheeler

Ms. Wheeler is an owner, Corporate Secretary, and Senior Associate. She contributes to project management, qualitative research, training and technical assistance, and communication activities for work related to long-term care, developmental disabilities, and HIV/AIDS. She currently serves as Mission’s lead to our prime contractor on the HCBS Settings project, assisting CMS in the review of state transition plans, heightened scrutiny settings, and conducts site visits under the Final Rule. She has worked on the DDS risk management contract at Mission since 2011, in multiple roles including Project Manager and Deputy Project Director.

AJ Jones

Mr. Jones is a Public Health Researcher at Mission where he directs projects related to public health research, data reporting and analysis, and technical assistance. He has been the project director/manager for several projects within the Department of Health and Human Services, primarily with the Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau (HRSA HAB), and with the Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) and the Office of Health Equity (OHE).

Elizabeth (Ellie) Coombs

Ms. Coombs is a Managing Associate at Mission where she directs projects and leads qualitative research, training and technical assistance, and communication activities. She has been the project director for numerous complex projects within the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Health Resources and Services Administration HIV/AIDS Bureau (HRSA HAB), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), the Office on Women’s Health (OWH), and the Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy (OHAIDP).

Nick Theobald

Dr. Theobald is an owner and Managing Associate who has more than 10 years of experience producing academic and applied policy research. He serves as the quantitative and task lead on several projects, including work with the California Department of Developmental Services; San Francisco Department of Children, Youth & Their Families Violence Prevention and Intervention project; the Family Resource Center (FRC) Initiative in San Francisco; and the Rural Community Hospital Demonstration.

West Addison

Mr. Addison is an owner and the Chief of Statistical Programming. In this role, he directs and executes complex programming tasks for numerous projects. He has extensive experience using complex administrative datasets, including child welfare services data, developmental disabilities data, HIV/AIDS data, and Medicare and Medicaid claims data.

Elizabeth (Liz) Crane

Ms. Crane is an owner and a Health Researcher. She contributes to qualitative and quantitative research, technical assistance, and project management for health services projects with a focus on maternal health. She currently directs an evaluation for the Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Primary Health Care (HRSA BPHC) and serves as Deputy Project Director for the 2022 Cohort RMOMS program evaluation.

Eric Verhulst

Mr. Verhulst is a Data Analytics Research Associate and provides statistical analysis and technical assistance on various projects for Medicaid and California Child Welfare Services.

Other Key Staff

Anna Allison

Ms. Allison is a Mixed Methods Researcher and contributes to site visits, report production, technical assistance and other analytical support for projects related to individuals with disabilities, mental illness, and HIV/AIDS.

Sean Bennett

Mr. Bennett is a Senior Research Analyst. He contributes to research, technical assistance, and qualitative analysis for projects related to home and community-based services and Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP).

Minda Borja

Ms. Borja is an owner and the Office Manager. She provides corporate support to the President and Corporate Secretary. She also handles accounts payable and manages the day-to-day office operational tasks and provides clerical support to the staff.

Danielle Calloway

Ms. Calloway is a Research Analyst. She contributes to research related to individuals with developmental disabilities and provides support across a variety of projects with a focus on qualitative methods.

Lorraine Furtado

Ms. Furtado is a Research Analyst, contributing to research regarding developmental disabilities, health care, and HIV/AIDS with an emphasis on quantitative methods.

Breck Frye

Ms. Frye is a Senior Research Analyst. She contributes to research, project management, and technical assistance for projects related to long-term service systems, supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and home and community-based services for other vulnerable populations.

megan lovitz

Ms. Lovitz is the Operations Manager. She provides support to the team of researchers, the Corporate Secretary, the President, and the Office Manager. She also plays a pivotal role in contract management, graphic design, financial operations, human resources, proposal support, and project assistance.

Catherine (Cathy) McCoy

Ms. McCoy is a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Specialist. Her primary focus at Mission is to work with systems that deliver care to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She assists in monitoring the risk of critical incidents, provides technical assistance, and helps develop strategic interventions to promote system of care process improvements.

Jonathan M. Wilwerding

Dr. Wilwerding is an owner and Emeritus of Mission.