The Herron
Group LLC.
The Herron
Group LLC.
Our Story
The Herron Group was founded by Marsha and Jason Herron—a husband-and-wife team with a shared belief that good work deserves good data. Between us, we've led university departments, directed research centers, run district-wide initiatives, and evaluated programs funded by federal and state agencies. In every role, we saw the same pattern: organizations doing meaningful work but struggling to measure it, prove it, or use data to get better. We built The Herron Group to change that.
Marsha Herron, Ph.D.
Co-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.
Certifications: Google Data Analytics | AI Content Creation | Strategic Foresight | AI-Powered Chatbots
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 & Lead 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.
Affiliations: American Educational Research Association | American Psychological Association | National Council on Measurement in Education
Expertise:
• Instrument development & psychometric analysis
• Quantitative & qualitative data analysis
• Program evaluation & research methodology
• Survey development & measurement validation
Our Team
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
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
Jason K. Johnson, Ph.D.
Senior 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
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
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
Casidy Rubino
Product Manager
Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance, University of Central Oklahoma. 8 years of experience in software across Quality Assurance Testing, Project Management, and Product Management.
Certifications:
Certified Scrum Product Owner
Expertise:
• Agile & Waterfall project management
• SaaS product development & roadmap planning
• Technical product scope & requirements writing
• Feature prioritization & release management
Cherie Grigsby, MS
Organizational Brand Specialist
M.S. Organizational Leadership, Goodwin University and B.A. Organizational Communication, Azusa Pacific University. 10+ years of experience in creating, maintaining, and articulating organizational impact.
Certifications:
Digital Marketing Certified Associate & Human Resources Professional
Expertise:
• Digital marketing
• Brand management & communications
• Project support & process improvement
