Staff

Roberta R. Schaefer, Ph.D. (rschaefer@wrrb.org) – President & CEO
Roberta Schaefer, the founding Executive Director of The Research Bureau, was elected President and CEO in 2008. Under her direction, the Bureau has grown from a one-person office preparing studies on municipal issues to a five-person regional center of information and expertise in all areas of public policy in Central Massachusetts. In the 22 years of its existence, Dr. Schaefer has researched, authored and edited more than 150 reports and organized over 140 public forums on issues of concern to the Greater Worcester region. Reports and forums provide well-documented information and recommendations, which public officials and business and community leaders can use for debating important issues and developing sound public policy. These programs and reports reach a broad audience throughout the region. She is often called upon to testify before local, regional and state committees, and has been the featured speaker for public service organizations and business events. Since 2000, Dr. Schaefer has overseen The Research Bureau’s citizen-informed government performance measurement program funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which has received local, state, and national recognition for its citizen engagement and collaboration with government leading to measurable improvements in government performance. Dr. Schaefer holds a B.A. from Queens College of the City University of New York and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. Dr. Schaefer served as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education from 1996 to 2007 and served as Vice-chair from 1998 to 2001. She is also a director of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, and a corporator of Bay State Savings Bank, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, and the Worcester Art Museum. She also served as a member of Governor Romney’s Regional Competitiveness Council for the Central Region. With her husband, David Schaefer, Professor of Political Science at Holy Cross College, she has co-edited two books (Sir Henry Taylor's The Statesman and The Future of Cities) and authored many articles in professional journals.

Jean DeIeso (jdeieso@wrrb.org) - Director of Programs & Operations
Jean DeIeso joined The Research Bureau in the summer of 2001. She is responsible for member services, staff coordination, managing the activities of the Executive Committee and the full Board of Directors, as well as assisting the President and Treasurer with the financial and administrative management of The Research Bureau. Ms. DeIeso oversees the annual Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards that has become a premiere event to honor outstanding City of Worcester and regional municipal employees. She organizes the Bureau's educational forums, working with corporate sponsors and public officials, guest speakers, and area colleges to ensure the events are well-publicized and well-attended. She also plans and organizes The Research Bureau's annual meeting each June. Ms. DeIeso, a graduate of Clark University,  has more than 35 years experience in office and program management.

Tiankai Wang, Ph. D. (twang@wrrb.org) – Senior Research Associate

Tiankai Wang joined The Research Bureau in February 2008 to manage the New England States Performance Measurement Project funded with a three-year grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This is a project involving several communities from each of the six New England States to benchmark government performance with a view to improving municipal operations. Dr. Wang is responsible for formulating methods and models for project use, including the development of a citizen satisfaction survey instrument; planning and facilitating meetings of the NESPMP’s steering and work groups; and leading workgroups in the identification and development of appropriate performance and cost measures. Before joining the Research Bureau, Dr. Wang taught public administration at Cheyney University in Philadelphia.  He earned a Ph.D. in public administration from Rutgers University – Newark in 2005. He also holds an MBA degree and a BA degree from Tianjin University, China.

Laura Swanson (lswanson@wrrb.org) - Research Associate

Laura Swanson joined The Research Bureau as a Research Assistant in June 2006 and was promoted to Research Associate in January 2008. Laura is responsible for The Research Bureau’s government performance measurement project begun in 2001 with a seven-year grant from the Sloan Foundation. In this capacity, she collects and analyzes performance measures in the areas of public education, economic development, municipal and neighborhood services, and public safety. Laura also organizes, executes, and analyzes surveys distributed by The Research Bureau, including the Neighborhood Safety survey, the Citizen Satisfaction survey, and the ComNET neighborhood surveys. Ms. Swanson earned a B.A. from the College of the Holy Cross where she studied psychology and economics. Her postgraduate studies have been in research methods and GIS.

Stephen D. Eide (seide@wrrb.org) - Research Associate

Stephen D. Eide worked as a Research Consultant on a report for the Research Bureau in the winter of 2007-08 and joined the staff as a Research Associate in July 2008. Stephen’s primary responsibilities involve researching and writing research reports covering a wide variety of public policy issues in Worcester and the region. The ultimate purpose of these research reports is to offer to both decision-makers and the public, balanced, thorough analysis and sensible recommendations. Stephen earned a B.A. from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM, where he studied philosophy, literature and the history of math and science. He is currently completing a Ph.D. in political philosophy at Boston College