Our Leadership
Executive Team
Tim Barnhart, Founder and President
After years of working in Government as a Human Resource Management professional, Tim Barnhart founded Federal Management Partners (FMP) in 1991. His goal was to build an HR consulting firm that could fill a missing space in the management consulting marketplace, i.e., transforming the highly regulated business of Federal Human Resources Management into a strategic asset for Federal agencies. Mr. Barnhart has thirty years of strategic human capital experience in a broad range of disciplines. He has been instrumental in the design and implementation of a number of HR Demonstration projects and alternative personnel systems across Government. He was cited in Michael Hammer's
The Reengineering Revolution for his contributions regarding business process reengineering in the Federal environment. He has presented at numerous conferences and symposia, and his views on HR in the Federal Government are frequently quoted in Government Executive Magazine, and other professional publications.
Glenn Sutton, Senior Vice President
Glenn Sutton joined FMP in 1999 after nearly 30 years in the Federal service. He has a unique combination of public sector HR and technology experience, having served as Director of Personnel for the Voice of America and as Deputy Chief Information Officer at the Office of Personnel Management. Over the past few years, Mr. Sutton has played a leading role in FMP's growth, focusing on the company's investments in human capital, infrastructure, and business development. He has continued to lead and participate in consulting engagements, including strategic workforce planning, evaluation of personnel demonstration projects, human resources information systems, HR operational support, and organizational analysis. Mr. Sutton serves as a Board member and is Past President of the National Capital Area Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and a Master of Business Administration from George Washington University.
Erin Pitera, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Erin Pitera brings over ten years of diverse Human Resources Management experience and is currently
Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at FMP. In this role, she provides leadership across FMP in the execution of strategies for client relationships, business growth, human capital and infrastructure. She continues to participate in a variety of client engagements and since joining FMP, she has worked extensively on civilian acquisition workforce issues. Prior to joining FMP in 2004, she worked in the private sector in a broad range of HR disciplines. Her knowledge and expertise include strategic human capital planning, workforce planning, training and employee development, HR transformation, organizational assessment, and evaluation. Mrs. Pitera holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, with a specialization in International Studies and a Minor Economics, and a Master of Arts degree in Industrial Relations.
Carolyn Kurowski, Senior Vice President
Carolyn Kurowski has over 15 years of experience leading a diverse range of projects and providing analytical and consulting services in the area of human resource management. She is currently working with VA’s Learning University (VALU) as the Project Director designing a world-class online resource that offers current and potential employees a “one stop shop” for career planning and development, known as MyCareer@VA. Ms. Kurowski serves as the lead Project Manager and oversees the efforts of over fifty team-members. She provides technical guidance, financial oversight and leads the overall integration efforts that help drive this innovative project. Ms. Kurowski is extremely skilled at building relationships within and across groups to move projects forward and find solutions to organizational issues and problems. She is particularly focused on building cross-functional and cross-organizational teams and works closely with her team and her clients to work through the information analysis, process engineering, IT integration and solution development challenges this project has presented. Ms. Kurowski received her M.A. in Developmental Psychology from Clark University and B.A. from Notre Dame University.
Sherean Miller, Senior Vice President for Business Development
Sherean Miller is the
Senior Vice President for Business Development at FMP. Ms. Miller is responsible for expanding FMP’s human capital work in both the Federal and Private sectors. Since joining FMP in 2000, Ms. Miller has developed long standing partnerships with Federal Departments and Agencies to help implement a multitude of human capital initiatives in the areas of strategic human capital planning, human resource solutions and organizational effectiveness. She has also worked extensively across FMP on many projects that have involved strategic workforce planning, HR technologies and tools, competency validation and analysis, career development, organizational assessment and organizational development interventions. Ms. Miller holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and was named the George Mason University IOPSA Distinguished Master’s Alumni for 2009.
Management Team
Anne Marie Acton, Managing Consultant
Anne Marie Acton joined FMP in 2009 as a Managing Consultant bringing with her a unique combination of private and public sector expertise as a human resources management professional. Following a career at AT&T that included senior positions in human resources, training, marketing, and communications, she spent 14 years at the General Services Administration serving as the Director of Training and Organizational Development and the Director of Human Resources.
While at GSA, Anne Marie led the development and implementation of an award winning, nationwide recruitment and branding campaign that was cited by the Partnership for Public Service as one of the top ten recruitment strategies in the federal government. She won a coveted “Telly” award for the GSA Recruitment Video (a national competition honoring outstanding non-network television commercials and programs). She is also the only two time winner of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA) “Leading Edge” Award.
Anne Marie is an innovative human resources leader with extensive experience in human capital strategy, talent management, organizational transformation, project management, business process re-engineering, survey administration, and performance management. Since joining FMP, her clients have included the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the National Archives and Records Administration, and the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Nathan Bailey, PhD, Vice President
Dr. Bailey has more than 12 years of professional and educational experience related to technology implementation, competency modeling and analysis, training design and evaluation, organizational development and assessment, HR transformation initiatives, and project management in the corporate, academic, and Government sectors. Dr. Bailey has considerable experience with HR technology and transformation initiatives, working with several agencies including the Department of Labor (DOL), the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the Department of Energy (DOE) to evaluate and deploy new enterprise human resources information systems. Dr. Bailey has also worked extensively with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) on tasks related to performance management, training development and evaluation, performance measurement, metrics and reporting, and organizational assessment. Prior to joining FMP, he worked with the US Air Force and US Joint Forces Command (JFCOM) to conduct competency modeling, training gaps analysis, assessments of training effectiveness, and organizational interventions related to new technology implementation. Dr. Bailey also has expertise related to Human Factors and Aviation Psychology research, with several years of experience working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He received his PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Old Dominion University and is a member of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
Liana Grassi, Vice President
Liana Grassi joined FMP in June 2008 and brings with her over fifteen years of diverse Human Resources Management experience in the private sector, which lends a unique perspective to our clients. She is skilled in change management, project management, analyzing and evaluating qualitative and quantitative data, and strategic communications. Her technical expertise includes employee engagement, action planning, workforce planning, human capital strategic planning, survey design, and process improvement.
Prior to joining FMP, Liana worked as an internal Senior Learning and Development consultant for Rolls-Royce North America. While at Rolls-Royce, she was the lead corporate program manager for an employee engagement intervention pilot to include survey design, implementation and analysis; focus group facilitation; and employee driven action team methodology which led to post action planning initiatives. These initiatives resulted in measurable business improvements. Since joining FMP, her clients have included United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), leading the action planning initiatives of the DHS Employee Survey Results; U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), leading a large-scale change effort to address the results from the Federal Human Capital Survey; Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), leading a number of projects related to the merger of their three legacy organizations which focused on strategies for change and equality; Centers for Disease Control (CDC), developing a concept of operations for leadership development job rotations; and National Science Foundation (NSF), conducting a workforce planning requirements analysis to recommend a system that will meet their staffing planning needs.
Jess Goobic, Managing Consultant
Jessica Goobic joined
Federal Management Partners, Inc. in 2007. She specializes in
organizational design, strategic planning, outreach and
communication, leadership development, training and development,
and project management. Her previous project experience has
included a variety of data collection methodologies, including
focus groups and structured interviews.
Jessica holds a BA in English and
Ben Porr, PhD, Managing Consultant
Dr. Porr has six years of experience managing the development and implementation of strategic human capital initiatives. His technical expertise includes competency modeling, program and process evaluation, strategic planning, career development, recruitment and hiring, and employee engagement. In his current role as a Managing Consultant, Dr. Porr leads a team of consultants across a variety of consulting engagements. His primary projects include developing the MyCareer@VA occupational content and tools for the Department of Veterans Affairs and developing and implementing various strategic human capital initiatives within the Center for Veterinary Medicine within FDA.
Dr. Porr is a member of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and presents his work at local and national conferences. He received his Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology from George Mason University.
Bryanne Cordeiro Reynolds, PhD, Managing Consultant
Dr. Cordeiro Reynolds has more than eight years experience providing analytical and consulting services in the area of strategic human resource management for public sector organizations. She has managed projects in the areas of: organizational assessment, job analysis and competency modeling, survey development and administration, performance management, workforce planning, program evaluation, and work-life effectiveness. Dr. Reynolds and her team are currently engaged in strategic human capital initiatives with a variety of organizations including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of Personnel Management, and the US Agency for International Development.
Dr. Cordeiro Reynolds received her PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University. She has presented her work at the annual conferences of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology and has published in scholarly journals on the topic of work-life balance. Dr. Cordeiro Reynolds developed and implemented a work-life effectiveness program at FMP and was instrumental to FMP’s attainment of a CARE (Companies As Responsive Employers) award.
John Salamone, Vice President
John Salamone joined FMP as a Consultant in February 2009, bringing with him nearly seventeen years of federal legislative and executive branch experience. His most recent Federal appointment included serving as the Executive Director of the Chief Human Capital Officers Council at the Office of Personnel Management from April 2006 – January 2009. In addition to the Council position, John also served as the Office of Personnel Management’s liaison to the Government Accountability Office where he managed and oversaw his agency’s response to over 25 audits.
From January 2002 – April 2006, John was employed as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on the Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia. John was responsible for federal government oversight, management, and performance issues for the Subcommittee Chairman, Senator George Voinovich. During his tenure on the Subcommittee, he had the opportunity to work on government-wide legislative issues, including the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act.
Before joining the Subcommittee, John served as a 1998 Presidential Management Intern (PMI), spending the bulk of his two-year assignment at OPM, where he worked on recruitment and workforce planning issues. During the PMI program he also conducted a three-month rotational assignment at the National Transportation Safety Board. From 1992 - 1998, John was employed by U.S. Senator Alfonse D'Amato as his Assistant Personnel Director after beginning his tenure as a Community Representative in the Rochester, NY office. He received his Master's degree in Public Administration, with a concentration in Management, from George Mason University in 1998.
Lisa Sper, Vice President
Lisa Sper joined FMP in 2003. Prior to joining FMP, Lisa worked for over 10 years in private sector professional services firms as an HR practitioner and internal consultant. Lisa’s areas of expertise include Strategic Human Capital Planning, Workload Analysis and Staffing Modeling, Leadership and Organizational Development, Supervisor Training, Performance Management, and Change Management.
Since joining FMP, Lisa has worked with a variety of Federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, U.S. Air Force, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Lisa has a Master's degree in Human Resource Management from the George Washington University, and a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia.
Senior Advisors
Joseph Hillery, PhD, Senior Advisor
Joe Hillery joined Federal Management Partners in 2010 after a government career working in personnel research with the U.S. Postal Service and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). His concentration has been in employee assessment and selection as well as developing and administering large scale surveys. At the Postal Service, he developed and managed the survey administered annually to all employees and at OPM he managed the government-wide Federal Human Capital Survey and the Federal Employee Viewpoint survey. Dr. Hillery has worked extensively with government agencies in a variety of human resources projects. Currently he is working with the Department of Veterans Affairs on developing competency models for numerous VA occupational families and a Career Mapping procedure to be used by VA employees. Joe has taught graduate and undergraduate psychology and management courses, most recently in the University of Maryland University College MBA program. He earned a PhD in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Akron and is the past president of the Personnel Testing Council of Metropolitan Washington.
Henry Romero, Senior Advisor
Henry Romero joined FMP in 2002, continuing a career in Federal Human Resources Management that has spanned 35 years. He brings to FMP expertise in the full range of HR functions, but especially in the areas of strategic workforce planning, pay-for-performance, HR organizational design, and the changing role of the HR practitioner. Henry’s Federal career included service as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s Associate Director for Workforce Compensation and Performance. His prior assignments include serving as Director of Personnel for the U.S. Department of Justice and various HR positions with the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Department of Navy. Henry also managed a large compensation and employee benefits program for California’s second largest county. Henry’s recent consulting projects have involved improved Human Capital Planning at the USDA Farm Service Agency and at the DOT Office of Inspector General; Workforce Planning at the National Science Foundation; improved HR delivery systems at the Department of Labor; and HR Transformation initiatives at the Comptroller of the Currency and at Navy’s Strategic Systems Program. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at El Paso and a Master of Public Administration degree from San Diego State University.
Ellen Tunstall, Senior Advisor
Ellen Tunstall joined FMP in 2006 following more than 34 years in Federal Human Resources Management. A proven senior leader, program manager and team builder, she has comprehensive HR expertise and experience. As Deputy Associate Director for Talent and Capacity at the Office of Personnel Management she was responsible for Government-wide employment policy. As a Division Chief in OPM’s Office of Insurance Programs, she managed the operation of the nation’s largest health and life insurance programs with over 4 million enrollees and annual premiums of almost $3B. Before leaving Government, she was the Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Civilian Personnel Policy, responsible for civilian personnel programs affecting over 800,000 US and foreign nation employees around the world. Ellen is the recipient of numerous awards including the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Civilian Service, the DoD Career Service Award, and the Air Force Meritorious Civilian Service Award. She chairs the HR Advisory Panel for the USDA Graduate School and is a past president of the International Personnel Management Association’s Federal Section. A graduate of the Federal Executive Institute, Ellen has a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University and a Master of Science in Business Management from Troy State University.