


The Herron
Group LLC.
The Herron
Group LLC.
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Who We Are
Our Story
The Herron Group is an AI implementation and strategic consulting firm built for organizations whose missions are too important for guesswork. We help federal, state, tribal, and local agencies put artificial intelligence to work, design measurement systems that prove impact, and turn tangled operations into systems that run.
We founded THG after two decades inside the systems we now serve, leading university departments, directing research centers, running district initiatives, and evaluating federally funded programs. We kept seeing the same thing. Good people and good work, limited by tools that could not keep pace. So we built a firm that pairs real technical capability with real domain experience, because AI only creates value when someone understands both the technology and the world it is being dropped into. That is the difference we bring

Marsha Herron, Ph.D., Founder & Lead Consultant
Ph.D. in Special Education, University of Oklahoma. Former district chief, university dean, and statewide director with 20+ years of experience in strategic planning, organizational development, and data systems design. Expert in program evaluation, data-driven decision making, and AI implementation.
Certfications: MIT Sloan AI Business Strategy | Google Data Analytics | IBM AI-Powered Chatbots | Google Prompting Essentials | Strategic Foresight (University of Houston)
Expertise:
Strategic planning & organizational development
Program evaluation & data-driven decision making
AI implementation & workflow automation
Leadership coaching & change management
Jason Herron, Ph.D., Co-Founder & Senior Consultant
Ph.D. in Instructional Psychology and Technology, University of Oklahoma. Director of the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation Services (CRES). Extensive experience in program evaluation for federal and state-funded initiatives, instrument development, and advanced statistical analysis.
Certifications: American Educational Research Association | American Psychological Association | National Council on Measuremen
Expertise:
Instrument development & psychometric analysis
Quantitative & qualitative data analysis
Program evaluation & research methodology
Survey development & measurement validation
Meet Our Team
Measurement Design Experts

Alycia Brown, M.Ed., Research & Client Support Specialist
M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education (Student Affairs), The University of Oklahoma. 17+ years of experience in client support services, with expertise in research, data collection, and survey analysis across higher education and financial sectors. Background includes digital product support, consumer data protection, and content creation.
Expertise:
Research & data collection
Survey & program analysis
Client support services

Candice Hillenbrand, MA, CFRE Fundraising & Development Strategist
M.A. in Administrative Leadership, University of Oklahoma. 10+ years of executive-level experience leading fundraising strategy, grant development, and organizational growth across Oklahoma's nonprofit sector. Former Chief Resource Officer (Girl Scouts Western Oklahoma) and Director of Development (Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation). Known for bringing structure, clarity, and consistency to development work, particularly in organizations navigating change.
Certifications: Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE)
Expertise:
Fundraising strategy and revenue growth
Grant writing, management and compliance
Donor stewardship and major gifts
Development systems and data integrity

Jason K. Johnson, Ph.D., Sr. Higher Education Consultant | Leadership & Student Success Strategist
Ph.D. in Social Foundations of Education with a cognate in Educational Psychology, Oklahoma State University. 20+ years of executive leadership across public higher education, including community colleges, HBCUs, and statewide systems. Former Vice President of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services, Interim Provost, and Executive Director of Enrollment Management.
Affiliations:
NASPA | American Educational Research Association | American Educational Studies Association | Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Expertise:
Strategic enrollment management & student success planning
Executive leadership & cabinet-level advising
Equity-centered policy development & institutional transformation
Data-informed decision making & performance improvement
Systems Strategy Experts

Tara Norton, MPA, LSSBB, CSM, Senior Consultant
Continuous process improvement champion and strategic transformation leader with 15+ years of experience driving enterprise process improvement, business operations analysis, and organizational change across multiple industries. Expert in translating executive vision into actionable business requirements, performance metrics, and implementation plans then managing those to completion. Proven ability to partner with senior leaders, technology teams, and operational stakeholders to deliver scalable, data-driven solutions.
Certifications:
Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | Certified Scrum Master | John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Trainer and Coach
Expertise:
Scaling operational workflows and business
Strategic Planning and Management
Change Management Plans and Organizational Readiness Assessments
Project and Portfolio Management
Process Mapping and Optimization

Joanne M. Davis, Business Advisor & Contract Specialist
B.A. in Business Education, Eastern New Mexico University. M.A. in Management, Webster University. Air War College graduate. 35+ years of experience in government contracting and business analysis, focusing on small business strategic planning and decision-making methodologies.
Certifications:
Certified Professional Contracts Manager (NCMA) | Warranted Unlimited Procurement Contract Officer
Expertise:
Government contract management
Strategic planning & business decision making
Qualitative & quantitative analysis methods
Contract negotiation & procurement

Eneshal Borders, DHA, Small Business Strategic Financial Advisor
Founder, Crown & Ledger Consulting and Ambrel Health Partners. Doctorate in Health Care Administration, Oklahoma State University. 26+ years across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Certifications: DAWIA Level III-Contracting | QuickBooks ProAdvisor
Expertise:
Financial analysis & AI financial dashboards
Bookkeeping systems implementation
Vendor contract reviews & cost controls
Proposal development & business coaching
Regina Joy Lane, SHRM-SCP & Workforce & Culture Strategist
M.L.S. in Administrative Leadership, University of Oklahoma. Enterprise talent and culture executive with 15+ years of experience designing workforce strategies for complex organizations. Former Director of Belonging & Experience (INTEGRIS Health) and Chief IDEA Officer (Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma). Known for translating workforce data into enterprise decisions and building integrated engagement systems. Also brings hands-on technical experience developing application tools that support manager effectiveness and employee satisfaction.
Certifications: SHRM-SCP | DEI in the Workplace (eCornell) | Inspiring Leadership Through Emotional Intelligence (Case Western Reserve) | Women in Leadership (Case Western Reserve)
Expertise:
Employee experience and engagement systems
Application development and survey architecture
Organizational change and culture integration
Workforce planning and readiness
Leadership development and manager effectiveness
System Brand Experts

Teva Thomas, Brand Strategy & Strategic Communications Consultant
Founder, TM Branding Co. 15+ years spanning branding, marketing, strategic communications, education, and community-based initiatives.
Certifications: Google AI | Lean Six Sigma Green Belt | Customer Experience (CX)
Expertise:
Brand strategy & strategic communications
Customer experience & brand experience
Digital design & visual communications
Project management & process improvement
Cherie Grigsby, MS, Organizational Brand Specialist
M.S. Organizational Leadership, Goodwin University and B.A. Organizational Communication, Azusa Pacific University. Brings 10+ years of experience in creating, maintaining, and articulating organizational impact through brand management, digital marketing, and strategic communications.
Certifications:
Digital Marketing Certified Associate & Human Resources Professional
Expertise:
Digital marketing
Interpersonal Communications
Project support & process improvementHuman Resources

Lydia Simms, Graphic Design Specialist
Bachelor of Science with 20+ years of experience in graphic design, administrative operations, and program management. Known for balancing creativity with structure—delivering high-quality visual materials while streamlining processes and ensuring projects are executed with accuracy and professionalism.
Expertise:
Visual design for reports & client deliverables
Project coordination & scheduling
Documentation & process management
Operations support & quality assurance
AI Implementation Experts

Christian Hurtado, Software Quality Analyst | Test Engineer
B.A. in Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma. 8+ years of experience in software quality assurance and testing across SaaS platforms, web, mobile, enterprise applications, and AI/LLM tools. Former Software Quality Team Lead, Regression Lead, and Senior Software Quality Analyst.
Certifications:
ISTQB Certified Tester (CTFL) | Selenium Automation Specialist
Expertise:
Manual & automated testing (Selenium, Postman, JIRA)
Test planning, execution & regression testing
API, performance & usability testing
Agile/Scrum methodologies & CI/CD integration

Nakeisha McGee, MAMFT, LPC, AI Process Analyst
M.A. in Marriage & Family Therapy, Southern Nazarene University. B.A. in Interpersonal Communication and Corporate Training. Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience navigating complex healthcare systems, structured documentation, and cross-functional coordination. Background includes clinical operations, triage decision-making, and Salesforce-based workflow management across telehealth and multidisciplinary care environments. Currently expanding expertise in generative AI, data analysis, and process optimization.
Certifications: Licensed Professional Counselor (Oklahoma) | Google AI Prompt Engineering
Expertise:
Process documentation and workflow mapping
Stakeholder coordination and information synthesis
Salesforce-based systems and telehealth operations
AI tools and technology adoption
Let's Get Started
Contact us for a consultation.
SBA-Certified WOSB | SBA-Certified EDWOSB
Certified Oklahoma Woman-Owned Business
©2026 The Herron Group, LLC













