• 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

    Professional photo of Dr. Marsha Herron and Dr. Jason Herron as founders.

    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

    Professional photo of Alycia Brown as a team member.

    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

    Professional photo of Candace Hillenbrand as a team member.

    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

    Professional photo of Jason K. Johnson, Ph.D. as a team member.

    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

    Professional photo of Tara Norton as a team member.

    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

    Professional photo of Joanne Davis as a team member.

    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

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    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

    Professional photo of Regina Joy Lane as a team member.

    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

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    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

    Professional photo of Cherie Grigsby as a team member.

    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 improvement

    Human Resources

    Professional photo of Lydia Simms as a team member.

    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

    Professional photo of Christian Hurtado as a team member.

    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

    Professional photo of Nakeisha McGee as a team member.

    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