About

Expert Strategic Planning Services

Mission Statement

The aim of Sandpiper Evaluation Associates is to make a positive difference in schools, non-profits and small businesses by advancing the effective practice and use of evaluation, development, and our strategic planning services. We see ourselves as partners with our clients and our community and we are dedicated to providing high quality services through a confidential, collaborative and flexible service model.

Who We Are

Sandpiper Evaluation Associates was created when Heather returned to the East coast and Carol needed help with her growing business. The name comes from our vacations in North Carolina and our admiration for the tiny sandpiper, which is small in stature and strong in execution, a parallel for Sandpiper Evaluation Associates.

Our Core Beliefs

  • Every organization has the capacity to grow.
  • Every organization has areas of strength and areas in which it can improve.
  • Every organization is unique.
  • Our clients are the true experts in their field.
  • Our role is to support our clients and to provide tools and strategies to clarify and guide their thought processes, streamline operations, build capacity, and ultimately enhance their impact.
  • Our end product must be clear, understandable, and relevant.
  • Our work is guided by confidentiality, a culture of collaboration and consensus, careful listening, and availability well after the project ends.
About 2

President

Heather Turoczi lived in Boston and San Francisco before returning to southeastern PA. She worked in adventure travel, doing marketing, and later guiding biking and hiking trips throughout the US and Canada for Berkeley, CA based Backroads…
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Heather Turoczi lived in Boston and San Francisco before returning to southeastern PA. She worked in adventure travel, doing marketing, and later guiding biking and hiking trips throughout the US and Canada for Berkeley, CA based Backroads. Since beginning her second career in the non-profit and education field, Heather has worn the many hats required of a non-profit provider, working on projects as varied as developing programs and partnerships with Silicon Valley companies, fundraising with the San Francisco 49ers, recruiting and managing volunteers, helping students complete FAFSA’s, teaching writing to 8th graders, helping non-English-speaking parents negotiate the health-care system, and teaching a middle school cooking class. Heather spends as much free time as possible outdoors, traveling, with her husband and two children. She is a board-appointed member of the School District of Upper Dublin Educational Advisory Committee.

About 3

vice president

Carol Turoczi’s career as an educator provided her the opportunity to work as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, federal program coordinator, reading supervisor and elementary principal…
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Carol Turoczi’s career as an educator provided her the opportunity to work as a classroom teacher, reading specialist, federal program coordinator, reading supervisor and elementary principal. In addition to teaching graduate courses in reading and leadership, Carol has worked as a mentor with new principals through a Pennsylvania Department of Education program and presented at local, state and national conferences. For the past 10 years, Carol has put this experience to work by consulting in evaluation, resource development, strategic planning and capacity building. Carol has worked with program evaluation and organizational effectiveness in the fields of education and non-profit consulting. She is a strong advocate for the role of leadership and the value of collective impact within an organization and a community. In her free time, Carol enjoys traveling with her husband, gardening, walking, playing bridge and spending as much time as possible with her family and grandchildren.

About 4

STRATEGIC PROJECTS ASSOCIATE

Sara Girotto is the newest member of the SEA team and brings with her valuable experience and perspectives. With a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and a degree from Milano, Italy, in architecture…
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Sara Girotto is the newest member of the SEA team and brings with her valuable experience and perspectives. With a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and a degree from Milano, Italy, in architecture, Sara has joined these areas to work with communities on creating more human-centered environments with the future in mind. Her interdisciplinary background enables her to look at complex issues from a variety of viewpoints, which has helped her to develop highly customized and out-of-the box solutions. As a research associate at the Community Design Center of Rochester and, more recently, as one of the directors at Ecoland Institute, Sara’s work focuses on building healthy and sustainable communities by breaking down silos and working to integrate natural, human and engineered systems. Sara is passionate about making a difference in today’s complex world.

Articles

We at Sandpiper Evaluation Associates, LLC are committed to supporting your organization. Here are some of the articles we have written in the past. 

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