Linda Toms Barker has almost 25 years of experience in program evaluation and public policy research. Her work has included identifying exemplary programs and practices, developing standards and benchmarks for measuring program performance, estimating the benefit-cost of different program strategies, and conducting ethnographic case studies of programs, employers, and individuals. Ms. Toms Barker's policy experience ranges from health care and family services to education and employment systems, with a major focus on disability policy. Her work on over 60 projects at BPA has emphasized linkages from research to practice, identifying innovations and effective practices, and assessing the transferability of approaches. In addition to her quantitative and qualitative research skills, Ms. Toms Barker also specializes in training and technical assistance, development of training materials, and conducting workshops and seminars. A member of BPA's senior management team for almost 20 years, Ms. Toms Barker has served as both Chief Financial Officer and Chair of BPA's Board of Directors.

Selected Current/Recent Projects:

• Improving Job Corps Services and Support to LEP and Hispanic Youth
• Technical Assistance Guide for Serving Dislocated Workers Requiring Multicultural Service Strategies and Solutions
• Consultation on Design of Study of Financial Exploitation of Elders
• Into Focus: Identifying the Unmet Healthcare Needs of Californians with Chronic Neurological Conditions
• Evaluation of the Teacher Led Technology Challenge
• Practitioners' Guide to Primary Care for Women with Physical Disabilities
• Building Capacity in the National Workforce Development System
• Development of Performance Measures for Supported Employment Programs

Related Experience:

• Governing Council member of the Real Choices ACCESS Project Hawaii
• Governing Council member of the Hawaii Workforce Partnership
• Co-Director of National Educational Technology Evaluation Institutes 2000 and 2001
• Co-editor of Assessing the Impact of Technology in Teaching and Learning: A Sourcebook for Evaluators
• Planner/Evaluator, Center for Independent Living, Berkeley, California