Collins Center Team
Stephen McGoldrick, Deputy Director
Kathleen Sullivan Corrigan, Senior Staff Associate
Shaleah Rather, Administrative Assistant
Biographies and Contact Information
David Sparks, Acting Director
Phone: (617) 287-5511
Email: david.sparks@umb.edu
David M. Sparks is currently serving as Acting Director of the Collins Center, on assignment from his position as Assistant to the Dean of the McCormack School of Policy Studies. He has a long and varied career at all levels of government and in the private and political sectors.
Sparks was Chair of the Nashoba Regional School Committee in Bolton where he led its labor negotiation team. A graduate of the Massachusetts Correctional Officers Training Academy, he was assistant to the Sheriff of Middlesex County. As assistant to the Chairman of the Boston Finance Commission, Sparks participated in an investigation of the Boston School Committee and its campaign fundraising practices. Sparks was New England Regional Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and also served as Director of Intergovernmental Relations in the Maine Governor’s Office.
Sparks has significant experience as a consultant, having coordinated the public sector practice of a national productivity improvement firm, worked with a utility engaged in a business challenge in New Mexico and represented a national university in the state licensure process. He has extensive political campaign experience in local, Congressional, state and national campaigns, including serving as Political Director of the successful 1980 campaign of former President George H. W. Bush.
Sparks graduated magna cum laude from Tufts University and received a Master of Public Administration degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, where he was also named a Fellow at the Institute of Politics.
Sparks served on Maine’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Higher Education Governance and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Bangor Theological Seminary.
Stephen McGoldrick, Deputy Director
Phone: (617) 287-4022
Email: stephen.mcgoldrick@umb.edu
Stephen McGoldrick is primarily responsible for developing programs and providing consulting services within the Productivity and Government Services areas.
Before joining the Center, he served as the deputy director of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council 10 years. In that position, he was responsible for developing regional service delivery mechanisms, facilitating strategic alliances among governments and providing technical assistance to local governments on management, organizational and governance issues. As a member of the senior management team, he held primary responsibility in developing the operating budget, human resources administration, board relations and strategic planning.
McGoldrick has provided consulting services to dozens of local governments, public school systems and housing authorities. From 1991 to 1996 he served as chief of staff to the Chelsea receiver and subsequently facilitated the establishment of Chelsea's post-receivership government as the Commonwealth's transition officer. In 1990 he served as the executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Personnel Association. From 1983 to 1990 he held leadership positions in the administrations of former mayors of Everett and Somerville. He has been a technical advisor to the Massachusetts Municipal Association. McGoldrick co-authored the Final Report of the Regionalization Commission that was established and chaired by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
McGoldrick holds a Master of Science in Management degree from Lesley University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Kathleen Sullivan Corrigan
Kathleen Sullivan Corrigan brings more than 25 years of state government experience to the Collins Center. She was the first woman in Massachusetts history appointed budget director of either the legislative or executive branch. Corrigan served as Deputy State Auditor, Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Director of Administrative Services for the Highway Department and worked in the offices of the Senate Majority Leader, the Speaker, the Senate President and the Governor.
Corrigan has experience as an investment banker with Kidder Peabody and has also worked as a consultant for the Professional Services Group, specializing in staffing and training.
Corrigan is a graduate of Trinity College (Washington, D.C.) and holds Master’s Degrees in Journalism from Boston University and in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where she was a Bradford Fellow.
Shaleah Rather, Administrative Assistant
Phone: 617-287-4824; FAX: 617-287-5566
Email: shaleah.rather@umb.edu
Collins Center Associates
Robert Carey
Clayton Carlisle
Geri Connors
Amy Dain
Bob Carey is a health and welfare benefits consultant, specializing in health insurance reform, benefits analysis, plan design, and vendor procurements.
Carey previously served as Director of Planning and Development for the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority and as the Director of Policy and Program Management for the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission. His work experience also includes senior research positions with NGOs and government oversight boards as well as policy positions with the U.S. Congress and the Maine Legislature.
He received a Master of Science in public policy and management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Maine.
Wendy Foxmyn has extensive knowledge of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) with substantial experience in administration and management. Foxmyn’s prior work experience includes: town administrator, municipal law paralegal, and program manager. In the different roles, Foxmyn has had numerous successes in program design and development, public outreach and recruitment, as well as grant writing and fundraising. Most recently, Foxmyn has served as a municipal and non-profit consultant.
In addition, Foxmyn is affiliated with several municipal and local associations, committees, and boards providing insight into ways to resolve disputes or problems in decision-making.
Foxmyn has a BS in Urban Affairs from the University of Cincinnati as well as numerous certifications in NIMS and emergency management.
Richard Kobayashi has worked with the Commonwealth and its municipalities as both an elected and appointed official since 1972. He served for over a decade as Director of the Commonwealth’s technical assistance programs for municipalities, as aide to the Mayor in Malden, as Director of Planning and Development in Lawrence, as a staff member of the Community Development Department in Cambridge, and as a Senior Planner at the MWRA. In addition, he has served as an elected official in his hometown of Belmont. An independent consultant since 1995, Mr. Kobayashi has developed expertise in executive recruitment, urban planning, charter reform and restructuring, creation of municipal consortia, water/wastewater, and capacity building of all kinds.
Mr. Kobayashi holds an MPA from Northeastern University and a BA from UMass Amherst. He was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University where he studied urban policy.
Return to Collins Center - Home
Helping Governments Work Better
The Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management
617-287-4824; collins.center@umb.edu