Our Team

Juana partners closely with Institute leaders, providing strategic guidance as they plan and execute priorities, optimize organizational structures, and navigate change. Her primary clients are the colleges, schools, and administrative units within Academic Affairs. Within GTSC, Juana oversees daily team operations, and the methodologies used for delivering consulting services.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech in 2002, Juana conducted business and service audits for the New York State Metropolitan Transportation Authority Office of the Inspector General.

Juana has earned a Master of Public Administration in public and nonprofit management and policy from New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from the University of Richmond. She is a Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) with the Society for Human Resource Management and is a trained Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, DiSC facilitator, and William Bridges Leading Organizational Transitions facilitator. Juana is also a board member for the Association of Internal Management Consultants (AIMC).

Outside of work, Juana enjoys cooking and home improvement projects. 

Byron is a trusted advisor and strategic partner, collaborating with Institute leaders to design and implement strategic priorities, enhance culture, build community, and navigate change. He primarily engages with leaders and stakeholders in Administration and Finance, as well as the Provost and President’s units.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech in August 2016, Byron spent 10 years working in people-focused strategy and management consulting roles at Emory University Goizueta Business School, The Hackett Group, and Gallup. He brings over 15 years of experience in organizational development, employee engagement, change management, and strategic planning across diverse industries and nonprofits.

Byron received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Georgia State University.  He is a certified executive coach, associate diversity coach, change management practitioner, bold inclusive conversations® facilitator, DiSC® workplace facilitator, and designated culture champion and changemaker through Georgia’s Tech Inclusive Leader’s Academy.

Byron is a proud INROADS alumnus and ambassador, Board Member within the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI) and was most recently recognized as a 2023 GSU “40 Under 40” honoree. 

Karla leads in the area of data integration and analysis on a team of highly skilled consultants that drive organizational improvements across the Georgia Tech campus. The results of these efforts are returned to the Institute in the form of capital that is redirected to student focused instruction, research and supporting infrastructure. 

Karla came to Georgia Tech in 2012 as a Sr. Application Support Analyst in Business Services.  She quickly progressed, moving to the campus card operation in 2014 as a Technical Services Manager, then was promoted to Sr. Information Technology Service Delivery Manager, providing an expertise that bridged the gap between operations and technology. 

Prior to coming to Strategic Consulting, Karla served as Director of BuzzCard, providing technology vision, strategic planning, and overall leadership for the campus card program and all supporting technologies.  With more than 25 -years of experience as an information technology professional, she has worked in multiple industries including management consulting, manufacturing, K-12 and higher education. Karla holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Howard University and a Master of Science degree in Instructional Technologies. 

Outside of work, Karla enjoys spending time with her family, helping others discover their family history through genealogy research and advocating for the rights of farmers of color. 

Haris primarily focuses on strategy implementation for the Institute Strategic Priorities (ISPs). He also assists with internal process efficiency, knowledge management, and toolkit development.

Before joining GTSC, Haris was on the Student Success staff at GSU, where he coordinated and researched its retention and academic Chatbots.

He holds a B.A. in Economics from the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University (GSU), an M.S. in Financial Planning, Housing, and Consumer Economics from the University of Georgia, and a Ph.D. in English, Rhetoric & Composition also from GSU. Haris’s dissertation research centered around English Education Policy in Türkiye, a country he has strong personal and professional connections to.

Outside of work, Haris is actively involved in the Atlanta Muslim community and serves in a leadership role at Muslim Americans for Public Service (MAPS), as a Chief of Practice. He is happily married to his wife, Betül, and enjoys spending time with her, Pilates, cooking, and mentoring others.

Tanika joined GTSC in 2016 as a Program and Portfolio Manager. She currently is a Strategic Consulting Director focused on managing the implementation of the Institute Strategic plan’s fifteen portfolios working directly with project, program, and portfolio managers and owners and leads Tech’s P³ (project, program, & portfolio) Managers Community of Practice.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech, she spent 16 years at Acuity Brands, Inc. where she held a number of progressively responsible roles.  As Senior Manager of Project Services, she managed a multitude of domestic and international strategic initiatives, cross functional process improvements and was responsible for product development and portfolio management processes, training, and metrics.   

Tanika received her BBA in International Business from Howard University and both an MBA in Marketing and DSL- Doctor of Strategic Leadership with Strategic Foresight from Regent University. She has over 20 years of experience in project, program, and portfolio management, strategy development and implementation, change management, process improvement, and product development.

She holds certifications as a PMP (Project Manager Professional), NPDP (New Product Development Professional), Six Sigma Black Belt, Lean Six Sigma, CSM (Certified Scrum Master), Prosci, Tech Culture Champion, and Non-Profit Management. She also holds memberships in PMI (Project Management Institute), PMI Atlanta, PDMA (Product Development Management Association, AIMC, NCCI, United Way VIP, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, and Top Ladies of Distinction- TLOD.

Tanika is an advocate and mentor passionate about equipping and empowering young ladies and women with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to lead with authenticity. 

Kendra joined the Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting office in 2022. She specializes in organizational culture, executive leadership development, and supporting organizational change and strategy development initiatives.

Prior to GTSC, she spent four years managing programs for the NSF-funded South Big Data Regional Innovation Hub at GT’s Institute for Data Engineering and Sciences. With over 13 years of experience in higher education, Kendra has held various student-facing and sponsored research roles. She has successfully led initiatives in academic advising, student-athlete professional development, career services, and regional program management. 

Kendra is an active member of the International Leadership Association, the Georgia Association of Women in Higher Education, and the Network for Change and Continuous Improvement. She also serves on the Georgia Tech Staff Council’s Compensation and Benefits committee. Kendra holds an EdD in Organizational Leadership: Higher Education Leadership. She is a published author that explores resilient leadership at various stages in women’s professional development.

An interesting fact about Kendra is that she is a former college track and field athlete, showcasing her dedication, discipline, teambuilding, and competitive spirit both on and off the field. 

Tiffany has been with GTSC since 2017. Her responsibilities and expertise include project, program, and portfolio management; data collection and analysis; benchmarking; reporting; and decision support.

Her previous work experience is primarily in the non-profit and government sectors, and some previous employers were the Georgia Center for Nonprofits, the Georgia Department of Economic Development, and the Spruill Center for the Arts.

She has a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema-Television from the University of Southern California and has a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Colorado Denver. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and a member of Project Management Institute.

When not working, Tiffany likes to spend time with her husband and two young children and watch too many movies and television shows.

Rashaad is a seasoned consultant and trusted advisor with over 12 years of experience helping clients in strategy development and implementation, cultivating access and belonging, and strategic analysis. He has worked on a number of projects across the academic, research, and administrative functions.

Prior to joining Georgia Tech in March 2018, Rashaad was a Program Manager at Cox Automotive Inc. where he supported the execution of the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy through the delivery of innovative solutions that cultivated an environment where unique perspectives thrive. Additionally, he served as the primary D&I consultant to Cox Automotive’s employee resource group leaders, and other key business partners across the enterprise. Rashaad was also a Senior Consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton based in Washington, D.C. where he supported a culture that enabled employees to soar, develop, and remain responsive for the opportunities ahead.

Rashaad earned his Master’s in Business Administration from the Terry College of Business seated at the University of Georgia. He holds a Bachelor in Managerial Science from the J. Mack Robinson College of Business seated at Georgia State University. He studied abroad in France and Belgium focusing on International Business and Affairs.

He co-taught a one-credit hour freshman orientation course called GT 1000 for 4-straight semesters in the Fall to help incoming first-year students have a successful and effective transition to the Georgia Tech campus and community. 

Rashaad’s favorite self-care activities include traveling to new places and trying new restaurants with his wife, Jasmine; playing with his kids: RJ, Ryan, and Romelo; youth development, motivational speaking, and running his own lawn care business. 

Jeneen is responsible for GTSC’s financial management, office operations, team cohesion and well-being, and supporting logistics of large-scale collaborations. Her client area is the GTSC Team, and she continues to focus on the wellbeing of the team and herself. 

Before joining Strategic Consulting, she worked with the Georgia Tech Fire Safety Office as the Administrative Professional III.  She was able to provide her expertise in managing the daily operations of the department.  She comes with a wealth of experience and knowledge over her career in administrative services, early childhood education, environmental health and safety, and community service.   

Jeneen received her Master of Business Administration Degree and a Bachelor of Business in Computer Information Systems concentrating in Network Administration and Application Development.  She served as a Membership and Outreach Committee Member with NCCI.  She has also served on Georgia Tech’s Staff Council for several years in various capacities as Vice-Chair, Executive Champion-10-year Anniversary Committee, Compensation and Benefits Committee and currently serves as an Elected Member on the Health and Wellbeing Committee.  

Jeneen loves her family and friends, music, outreach volunteering and a great novel.  An interesting fact about Jeneen, she has help build over 30 houses with Habitat for Humanity over a 15-year span.   

Michelle (she/her/hers) is a Director for Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting with a primary focus on strategy development.  Her constituency is the Institute’s research enterprise, and she collaborates with research unit leaders across the Institute helping them improve operations, develop and implement strategic plans, and enhance organizational performance.  She’s stewarded the Research Next and IRI strategic planning processes.  She’s worked with Institute leadership on the newly formed Institute for Neuroscience, Neurotechnology & Society and she’s engaged in the Institute’s “Arts at Tech” Strategy which includes a new academic degree program at the intersection of Art & Technology and new spaces to support the degree and the creative students already at GT.  She holds a Prosci Change Management Certificate. Her Disc style is “iS” and she loves to connect people and efforts.  Positivity is her top strength. She was recognized with the Institute’s 2024 Excellence Award.

She is an experienced research administrator and training manager.  In response to the community, she launched the Research Admin Buzz back in the early 2000s and was recognized for her contributions to Georgia Tech with the Institute’s 2006 Administrative Service Award.  She held numerous leadership positions both regionally and nationally with the National Association of University Research Administrators (NCURA).  She also represented Georgia Institute of Technology from 2011-2016 as the Federal Demonstration Partnership Technical Rep.  She’s served on the Faculty Executive Board from 2013-2016 as well as other faculty committees.

She joined Georgia Tech in 2000.  Michelle holds a Master of Arts in Communications degree from Georgia State University and earned a bachelor’s degree in History from the Fitchburg State College.  She is a proud wife and mother of three.

Peter co-leads team operations, supervises a team of GTSC consultants, and partners with clients across campus to drive strategy and innovation initiatives.

Prior to joining Tech, Peter led the Academic Solutions Consulting organization at Guild Education, an innovator in technology-driven workforce education, and spent more than 11 years in strategy, analytics, and operations consulting within the Higher Education sector at Huron Consulting Group and, most recently, as a Senior Manager with Deloitte Consulting. Additionally, earlier in his career, Peter worked as a Contracts Specialist at Stanford University.

Peter holds a B.S. in Finance from DePaul University, as well as an MBA, with concentrations in Strategic Innovation & Entrepreneurship and Global Business, from the University of Illinois.

Peter is the father of two wonderful young daughters and is an avid traveler who is always looking for his next adventure.

Gerome is a Senior Managing Strategy Consultant with Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting. A native of Kentucky with over 20 years in higher education, he brings extensive experience in supporting leaders across academic and student-focused units to foster capacity-building, implement sustainable processes, and drive culture change. Before joining GT Strategic Consulting, he served as the Associate Dean of Students and Director for the Center of Student Engagement at Georgia Tech (2013-2023), where he led Civic Engagement, Fraternity and Sorority Life, Student Media, and Student Organizations. 

Dr. Stephens holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership & Organizational Development from the University of Louisville, where his research centered on organizational culture and the strategic alignment of culture-related goals. He earned both his BA in Education and MA in Public Communications from Morehead State University in Kentucky. Recognized for his commitment to equitable process and policy development, he is known for his collaborative approach to leadership and his focus on building inclusive, high-performing teams. He is a certified Gallup coach and has been working with individuals and teams across sectors—from nonprofits to Fortune 400 companies—using CliftonStrengths since 2009. 

He proudly served as the advisor to Georgia Tech’s Ramblin’ Reck Club from 2013 to 2023 and currently volunteers as the faculty fellow for Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at Tech. When he isn’t at work you can find him volunteering for regional equity focused youth programs, running one of Atlanta’s many 5ks, or on the hunt for vintage Dolly Parton records.  

Jacquelyn is a seasoned management consultant with twelve years of experience advising clients on organizational strategy, operations optimization, and leadership development. She is a proud Georgia Institute of Technology double jacket with degrees from The College of Design (BSBC 06) and The Scheller College of Business (MBA 18). She has additional graduate degrees in the built environment from The Johns Hopkins University and The University of California, Davis.

Jacquelyn also maintains the PMP and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certifications. She is a tremendous steward of the Yellow Jacket community. Jacquelyn continues her service to the Institute as a trustee for the Georgia Tech Alumni Association, board member for the Scheller College of Business Advisory Board, and at-large committee member for the Transforming Tomorrow Campaign Steering Committee.

When not spending time furthering the Institute’s mission, she is an avid indoor cyclist and has biked across the country five times all from inside her home on Peloton (18,000+ miles).

As a Director for Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting, with a primary focus on enterprise change leadership, Kara works collaboratively with campus partners to develop strategies and resources that help people impacted by change make successful transitions and sustain progress.

She also supports leaders in her client group, Administration and Finance, through planning, assessment, and exploration of improvement opportunities. Kara joined Georgia Tech in 2004 after 12 years at Accenture, where she worked in System Integration before transitioning to the Change Management practice. Kara holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University and earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania.

She is certified in Change Management through Prosci and as a Project Management Professional (PMP). Outside of work, Kara has served as a Girl Scout troop leader and service team member, bringing her passion for community service to these roles for over a decade.

Sam is primarily focused on strategy development and process optimization at Georgia Tech Strategic Consulting.

Prior to joining the Institute in March 2020, Sam worked in the private healthcare industry where he held the responsibility for driving quality and continuous improvement and partnering with leadership to reduce complexity and produce change.

Sam holds a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from Georgia State University, a Master of Business Administration in Supply Chain and Operations Management from Georgia Institute of Technology and is certified in Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Outside of work, Sam enjoys taking long walks by the river, traveling with his wife, Maggie, and learning new things.

Maria is currently supporting the implementation of two major big bets of the institute strategy. Her main areas of expertise are strategy implementation, continuous improvement and change management. She is leading project management efforts for the Associate Vice Provost for Arts at Tech as well as supporting the strategic transformation of the ASC.

She led major programs in Fortune 500 companies in various industries including food, beverage, manufacturing, chemical, education, financial, agriculture, government and others. She practices servant leadership, continuous learning and development at work and in her everyday life.

Maria earned a PhD and Master of Arts in International Business Communication and a Bachelor’s degree is in English and German linguistics. She also obtained the certification as a Project Management Professional (PMP).

Empowering people to find joy and meaning of life is one of Maria’s passions. She also enjoys painting, martial arts and learning new languages.