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Meet Your 2012 PAPOR Executive Council |
Bob Davis - President Bob Davis is President of Davis Research , a second generation family business focusing on web and telephone data collection for public and private industry. 
Bob's first job in research came when he was 3 years old working for his mom
taping quarters to outgoing mail surveys. Needless to say, he has seen a lot of change in the industry over the last
3 decades. Bob has a particular research interest in methodology strategy for the execution of research projects. When Bob used to
have free time he enjoyed traveling, hiking, cooking, and eating. Now he spends most of his time juggling demands from
his 6 year old son Zach and his 3 year old twins Riley and Jared. Bob holds a B.S. in Computer
Science from UCSD and Masters in Business Administration from the Anderson
School of UCLA.
Contact Bob |
Mechelle Pierce - Vice-President/President-Elect Ten years ago, after extensive studies in Finance/Accounting at the University of Denver, Colorado, Mechelle Pierce began her career 
as a Sales Representative at Apperson Print Resources.
It was quickly noted that Mechelle had a unique skill set that allowed her to review and analyze data files, reports, etc and
anticipate problems or troubleshoot issues that others may overlook. It was these exact characteristics that Apperson was looking for
to spearhead the new Digital Technology Services division that was acquired through an acquisition. In 2002 she transitioned to the
Director of Digital Technology Services, Mechelle developed a division that now offers a full line of services including; survey
design, printing, mailing/distribution, collection of raw data, and more. Under Mechelle's direction, the division has grown more
than 500% in just 7 short years. Mechelle is also known for her great networking abilities, and has developed strategic partnerships
with many market research companies to assist with the deployment of paper-based surveys. In her spare time, Mechelle enjoys
traveling (but not on business), reading and volunteering. Mechelle may be reached via email at Contact Mechelle |
Ed Ledek: Secretary Ed Ledek has been in and around research, politics, polling and market research most of his life, 
including his first professional position with the U.S. Census Bureau in 1980. His first
professional job in the industry was with the 1980 U.S. Census. After working on local political races, his life
and educational goals took him to Utah. Once there, he immersed himself in the world of research. Since 1984,
Ed has worked for full-service, data collection, sample and online research companies. Through those
opportunities, Ed has developed an expertise in field training and implementation. He has trained researchers
all over the world in "Applied Research Methods 101." In addition, Ed has served within the PAPOR, AAPOR, MRA,
SWMRA, CMOR and AAPC communities. He has planned and coordinated many conferences. He has served on various
committees and he has spoken, moderated or presented at conferences around the country. Currently Ed is also
serving the MRA on various national committees. When not working or traveling-- a passion that takes him hither
and yon both domestically and internationally-- Ed enjoys sports and athletics (participating, watching on TV or
live) and reading across a variety of genres and subjects.
Contact Ed |
Paul Johnson - Treasurer Paul Johnson is Director of Analytics at SSI. Paul specializes in online sampling design and advanced analytic methods. 
Paul's research based approach to identifying and recommending solutions positions him well to
investigating panelist behavior; oversee data processing efforts; improve online data integrity and provide advanced analytic support to
clients. Paul also actively pursuing a research agenda on survey research methods and applications of conjoint methodology. His
research on research efforts have been featured regularly at ESOMAR, AAPOR, CASRO and Sawtooth events. Paul holds an MS in Statistics
and BS in Actuarial Science from Brigham Young University. He joined SSI in 2006.
Contact Paul |
Sarah Cho - Conference Chair Sarah Cho is a Survey Analyst at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation in the Public Opinion and Survey Research program. 
Her current work examines the public's attitudes
towards and experiences with the health care system, with a focus on Americans' views
and knowledge of the health care reform law. Previously she was a Data Analyst at Safe
Horizon where she researched help-seeking among crime victims in New York City.
Contact Sarah |
Sonja Petek - Associate Conference Chair Sonja Petek is a survey project manager at the Public Policy Institute of California. 
In this capacity, she plans, designs, and oversees individual survey projects and serves in a support role on other surveys. In addition
to working on surveys examining Californians' public policy preferences and ballot choices, she has managed
numerous surveys focused on
attitudes toward K-12 and higher education, the environment, and population issues. Before joining PPIC, she worked at The Henne Group
in San Francisco, managing qualitative and quantitative research projects that focused primarily on health/sexual health issues and HIV
prevention. She holds a B.A. in political science from Stanford University.
Contact Sonja |
Corinne Hoag - Membership Chair Corinne Hoag is a Research Associate at Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, supporting the qualitative and quantitative research efforts for a variety of public policy efforts. Corinne received her MA in Social Justice from the SIT Graduate Institute in Vermont. She wrote her thesis on a community survey she helped to design and field with a Johannesburg-based organization supporting the advocacy efforts of a local township social movement. Corinne served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho from 2003-2005. Contact Corinne |
Phil Brenner - Student Paper Competition Chair Philip Brenner is Research Fellow in the Program on Survey Methodology at the University of Michigan. 
He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. His current research investigates the overreporting of normative behaviors, including church attendance, voting, and exercise. His work has recently appeared in Public Opinion Quarterly, the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, and Sociological Focus.
Contact Phil |
Anthony Salvanto -Councilor-at-Large -
Anthony Salvanto has been with CBS News since 2002 where, in addition to his work on design and analysis for the CBS News and CBS News/New York Times Polls, he is a 
member of the CBS News Decision Desk, which estimates election outcomes on Election Night. He contributes columns on public
opinion to CBSNews.com and has appeared on the CBS Evening News and on CBS Radio. His Ph.D. is from the University of
California, Irvine. Anthony is also Vice President/ President-Elect of the New York Chapter of AAPOR. Though based in New
York, Anthony also keeps a close eye on California's politics and its
weather reports. Contact Anthony
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Benn Messer - Councilor-at-Large Benjamin L. Messer is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Sociology at Washington State University (WSU) and a graduate research assistant under Dr. Don Dillman in the Social and Economic Sciences Research Center. 
One of his research interests has been in improving the effectiveness of web and mail methods for conducting Internet surveys of address-based samples of the general public. He has co-authored articles on these methodological issues in Social Science Research and Public Opinion Quarterly, and has presented his work at AAPOR and PAPOR conferences. Another of his research interests involves citizen-consumer views toward energy and environmental issues and policies, particularly in regards to support for or against changes in the energy system. Benn's Ph.D. dissertation combines these methodological and energy interests in an experiment aimed at improving web and survey response to multi-state household surveys focused on measuring respondent preferences for meeting future electricity needs.
Contact Benn |
Brianne Gilbert - Councilor-at-Large Brianne Gilbert is the Associate Director for the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University. 
Since joining CSLA, Brianne has worked on many studies involving voter surveys, public opinion research, and leadership analysis. Although her specialty is quantitative methodology, statistics, and geographic information science, she oversees all phases of the research process, from grant writing and design, to implementation and analysis, to dissemination. Prior to joining the CSLA team, Brianne provided research consultation to non-profit organizations, university departments, and both undergraduate and graduate students. Brianne received her B.A. from Wittenberg University and her M.A. from Florida International University, both in sociology with emphases on methodology and statistics. In addition to AAPOR and PAPOR, she is a member of the American Statistical Association (ASA), the American Sociological Association (ASA), Alpha Kappa Delta International Sociology Honor Society (AKD), and Phi Beta Kappa.
Contact Brianne |
Donna Fong - Councilor-at-Large Donna Fong is the Research Administrator of the Population Research Laboratory (PRL) at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. 
The PRL is the largest academic-based survey research center in Western Canada that has served university researchers and
external clients since 1966. Donna is pleased to searve PAPOR as a councilor-at-large in Canada's most northerly provincial capital
city. She has 27 years of experience in budgeting, questionnaire design, and project management of telephone surveys, field studies,
self-administered questionnaires, and focus groups at the PRL, Statistics Canada, non-profit organizations, and management consulting
firms. Donna is the treasurer of the Society of Edmonton Demographers, an association devoted to the advancement of demographic
research in Alberta. She enjoys downhill skiing, hiking, photography (watch out for her camera at PAPOR and AAPOR Conferences!),
politics, and visiting public libraries and museums. Donna is the Newsletter Editor for PAPOR's quarterly newsletter The Papor Trail
Contact Donna |
Sam Luks - Councilor-at-Large Samantha Luks is Senior Vice President of Scientific Research at YouGov. She is a leading expert in survey methodology and has nearly 20 years of experience in the field. Sam has expertise in a wide range of topics in public opinion, political behavior, political psychology, and survey design. At YouGov, Sam is responsible for sample design and analytics and advises on questionnaire construction and experimental design. She also directs the annual Cooperative Congressional Election Study, along with multiple cross-national studies in the areas of political science and health outcomes. Sam previously held a faculty appointment at the University of Minnesota and a research appointment at UC Data at the University of California at Berkeley. She earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a B.A. in Mathematical Methods in the Social Sciences from Northwestern University. She has published articles on elections, race and politics, trust in government, abortion attitudes, attitudinal ambivalence, and welfare dynamics. She is also on the editorial boards of Political Analysis and California Politics and Policy. Contact Sam |
Paul T. Melevin - Past-President Paul T. Melevin, is a Research Program Specialist II with the Survey and Applied Research Section of the State of California's Employment Development Department. 
He is the lead researcher in charge of overseeing many of the department's survey research efforts including the consumer
satisfaction surveys for the Unemployment Insurance Branch. Paul has a deep interest in research ethics and in the
protection of human subjects. He has organized and presented on numerous panels and workshops on the subject of protecting
the privacy of human subjects. He has been the Principal Investigator on over 120 Applied Research projects for a variety
of government agencies and university research centers. He is the primary author of several articles on survey research
methodology that have been published in Social Insight and the Journal of Applied Sociology. His most recent article,
"Automating Dillman's Total Design Methodology (TDM) for Mail Questionnaires", was co-authored by Susan Ayres and published
as Chapter 12 in Doing Sociology: Case Studies in Sociological Practice (editors, Jammie Price, Roger A. Strauss, and
Jeffrery R. Breese, 2009). has previously served as PAPOR's President in 2011, Vice President/President-Elect in 2010, Conference Chair in 2009, and as the Associate Conference Chair in 2008, Vice President and Program Chair for the Society for Applied Sociology (SAS) in 2002-2003, Vice President Elect for SAS in 2001- 2002 and as a member of the SAS Board of Directors from 2000-2001. From 1998 to 2001, he chaired the Pacific Sociological Association's (PSA) Committee on Practice, Applied, and Clinical
Sociology and in 1997-1998; he was Chair of PSA's Committee on the Status of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered
Persons in Sociology. He received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Washington State University in Pullman, WA (1988), his M.A. in
Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder (1983), and his B.A. in Sociology from Indiana University, Bloomington
(1976).
Contact Paul |
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Previous Councils:
2011| 2010 | 2009 |2008
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