Team

Vanessa Adame

Vanessa is a management consultant with experience in data analysis, legislative and budget analysis, and emergency grants management. She is skilled in collaborating with diverse stakeholders within federal, state, and local agencies. Vanessa earned her Master of Public Policy (MPP) from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Nikki Angle

Nikki has been an information technology management consultant since 1987, with expertise in planning, design, development, testing, and project management for large-scale system implementations. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Nikki was a management consultant at CGI. She has deep experience in all phases of the systems development life cycle. Nikki is a certified Project Management Professional and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. She earned her MBA from CSU Long Beach.

Mike CappellutiPresident

Mike has been a management consultant since 1990, with a focus on executive management facilitation, strategic planning, process redesign, and organizational change management. Prior to founding Highlands Consulting in 2002, Mike was a management consultant at Price Waterhouse and Synergy Consulting. He provides strategic guidance and quality assurance for all the firm’s projects. Mike is a certified Project Management Professional and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. He earned an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Jessica ClarkHuman Resources Manager

Jessica has 20 years of experience in organizational management and human resources. She has been a small business owner, a strategic planning business consultant, and HR Director for a large manufacturing company. She is responsible for both strategic and tactical human resources activities of the firm. Jessica earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Global Studies from Sacred Heart University. She is fluent in Spanish.

Dan Conway

Dan has over 25 years of consulting experience, with expertise in planning, designing, developing, testing, and managing large-scale systems implementations. He has managed numerous system implementations with budgets exceeding $20 million utilizing Agile and Waterfall methods. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Dan held senior positions with Price Waterhouse and HPE. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), and has a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from CSU Sacramento.

Will Cuper

Since 2000, Will has performed in both technical and business roles, with a focus on project management, organizational change management, and business process improvement. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Will was a system integration consultant at Accenture. Experienced in all aspects of project planning and execution, he is skilled at communicating with program and technical stakeholders. Will is a certified Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master, Rapid Process Improvement facilitator, and is also certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology. Will earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Rutgers University.

Robyn Dahlgren

Robyn has been a management consultant since 1994. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Robyn worked at EDS and Price Waterhouse. She provides a wide range of change management, facilitation, training, strategic planning, and program evaluation services, including managing large-scale transition efforts for executives, management, and staff. Robyn is certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology and holds a Master of Public Administration from Florida International University.

Abby Darrah

Abby began her consulting career in 1995 gaining experience in all phases of the system development life cycle working for CGI, Deloitte, and Synergy Consulting. Her focus is on large-scale organizational change management and business process analysis. Abby holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Management Information Systems from CSU Sacramento. She is certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology.

Michael Fellers

Michael has been a public sector consultant since 1997 providing technology planning, business process analysis, and project management. He has extensive experience with government accounting standards, processes, and data. Prior to joining Highlands Consulting, Michael worked at KPMG and Cambria Solutions. He is a certified Project Management Professional and has an MBA from UC Davis.

Hilary Fong

Hilary has more than eight years of management consulting experience with advanced skills in strategic planning, business process reengineering, market research, requirements analysis, and program evaluation. She is a Certified Business Analysis Professional. Hilary possesses a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. from Yale University where she was an instructor for seven years.

Mark Graziano

Mark has over 13 years of public sector project experience, with a focus on communications, organizational change management, strategic planning, and business process improvement. He has led digital and process improvement projects with diverse stakeholder groups, including senior leadership, executive, and technical staff. He is a Certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner, Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, and Certified Project Management Professional. Mark holds an MBA in Strategy and Management, and is fluent in Spanish.

Demetre Haralambakis

Demetre began his consulting career in 1997 with KPMG, specializing in configurable COTS software implementations. He now focuses on project management, organizational change management, procurement, and process improvement. Demetre is a certified Project Management Professional, Prosci Change Management Practitioner, Scrum Product Owner, and Scrum Master. He is also certified in the Lean Six Sigma methodology. Demetre has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UCLA.

Rachel Jacobs

Rachel is a management consultant focused on policy research, program analysis, and statewide communications. She is skilled in virtual facilitation and collaboration with diverse stakeholders across the state. Rachel holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific.

Sean Lemar

Sean is a management consultant with experience in communications, business process analysis, and analytic research. He holds a Master in Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) from California State University, Sacramento. Sean is also a Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt (ICYB).

Judy Melson

Since 2007, Judy has provided program and project management, strategic planning, marketing, budgeting, business analysis, and organizational change management services. Prior to joining Highlands, Judy was a Program Director at the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. She is a certified Project Management Professional, certified Pega Business Architect, and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. Judy holds an MBA from UC Davis and is fluent in Spanish.

Eric NortonProject Director

Eric has been a consultant since 1995, with diverse experience in strategic planning, business process improvement, feasibility study development and system implementation. Recently, he has focused on large-scale program development and management. He is a certified Project Management Professional and also certified in the Prosci Change Management methodology. He has an MBA from CSU Sacramento.

Dan Oen

Dan is our Digital/Graphic Designer. He has more than 20 years of visual design experience and enjoys collaborating with diverse teams. He has developed digital and print assets for a variety of audiences and has been awarded three design patents. Dan has an Associate of Arts degree in Communications / Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design (BID) from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Jacob Olson

Jacob has been a public sector information technology consultant since 2004, since started his career with Accenture. He focuses on organizational change management, facilitation, business process reengineering, and training for large-scale information technology projects. Jacob is a certified Project Management Professional and certified Prosci Change Management Practitioner. He has a Bachelor of Arts in History from CSU Sacramento.

Charles Roberts

Charles is a management consultant with a focus on policy research, data analysis, and communications. He is also a veteran with four years of military leadership experience, supervising troops during combat missions. Mr. Roberts will obtain a Master of Public Policy from McGeorge School of Law in December 2021.

Nancy SchneidewindOffice Director

Nancy has been an administrative professional since 1990 and is responsible for all office operations including accounting, infrastructure, and technical support. She also oversees proposal and client deliverable production. Nancy started her career with Price Waterhouse. She helps us feel happy and cared about every day.

Jim TurkoOCM Practice Lead

Jim has been a management consultant since 1996, with a specialty in organizational change management and business process analysis for large-scale information technology initiatives. He is a Certified Change Management Professional (CCMP), certified Prosci Change Management Instructor, and certified Project Management Professional. He earned his Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.

Shana WedemeyerMarketing Director