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Meet Your 2010 PAPOR Executive Council |
Floyd Ciruli - President Floyd Ciruli founded Ciruli Associates, a research and consulting firm specializing in public policy, community and cultural affairs and strategic planning, in 1985. 
Clients include
major Colorado corporations, business and civic associations. Mr. Ciruli is perhaps best-known to Colorado audiences as a pollster and
political analyst for 9-KUSA TV, The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News and KOA Radio. In addition, he has appeared on NBC Nightly
News, Lehrer News Hour, CNN, Fox News Special Report with Brit Hume, and National Public Radio. Recent analysis has appeared in Time
Magazine and The Economist. His firm publishes The Variable, a political newsletter analyzing current trends and public opinion, and
hosts www.ciruli.com for political news and information on the web. Mr. Ciruli holds a law degree from Georgetown University in
Washington, D.C. and a bachelor's degree in political science from UCLA. Mr. Ciruli is a member of the American Political Science
Association and the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR). He serves on the Council of the Pacific Chapter of AAPOR as
the Conference Chair. He teaches graduate classes in media, public opinion and policy for the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the
University of Colorado-Denver. He is a board member of the Social Science Foundation of the University of Denver Graduate School of
International Studies and the President-elect of the Denver Athletic Club. He is a native of Pueblo, Colorado. Contact Floyd |
Paul T. Melevin - Vice-President/President-elect Paul T. Melevin, is a Research Program Specialist II with the Survey and Applied Research Section of the State of California's Employment Development Department. 
He is the lead researcher in charge of overseeing many of the department.s survey research efforts including the consumer
satisfaction surveys for the Unemployment Insurance Branch. Paul has a deep interest in research ethics and in the protection of
human subjects. He has organized and presented on numerous panels and workshops on the subject of protecting the privacy of human
subjects. He has been the Principal Investigator on over 120 Applied Research projects for a variety of government agencies and
university research centers. He is the primary author of several articles on survey research methodology that have been published in
Social Insight and the Journal of Applied Sociology. His most recent article, Automating Dillman.s Total Design Methdology (TDM) for
Mail Questionnaires, was co-authored by Susan Ayres and published this past summer in Doing Sociology: Case Studies in Sociological
Practice. He has previously served as PAPOR.s Conference Chair in 2009 and as the Associate Conference Chair in 2008, Vice President
and Progam Chair for the Society for Applied Sociology (SAS) in 2002-2003, Vice President Elect for SAS in 2001-2002 and as a member
of the SAS Board of Directors from 2000-2001. From 1998 to 2001, he chaired the Pacific Sociological Association.s (PSA) Committee
on Practice, Applied, and Clinical Sociology and in 1997-1998, he was Chair of PSA.s Committee on the Status of Gay, Lesbian,
Bisexual, and Transgendered Persons in Sociology. Paul received his Ph.D. in Sociology from Washington State University in Pullman,
WA, his M.A. in Sociology from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and his B.A. in Sociology from Indiana University, Bloomington.
Contact Paul |
Jennifer Franz -Secretary Jennifer Franz is the President of JD Franz Research, Inc. of Sacramento and has over 35 years experience in public opinion and marketing research. 
Jennifer received her doctorate in political science from the University of California at Berkeley (1991). She also holds an M.A. in
Sociology of Education from Stanford University (1974) and a B.A. in Urban Studies from Antioch College West (1973). Jennifer has
been actively involved in both the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the Association.s Pacific Coast
Chapter (PAPOR). Prior to her current election to the PAPOR Board, she was a Board member from 2003 to 2007, serving as Secretary,
Treasurer, Councilor-at-Large. Jennifer teaches research methods at California State University, Sacramento and the University of
California at Davis Extension Marketing and Public Relations Certificate Programs. Her personal interests include singing with a
choir, playing tennis, hiking, and reading. She is also studying to become a licensed preacher. Contact Jennifer |
Mechelle Pierce -Treasurer Mechelle Pierce Ten years ago, after extensive studies in Finance/Accounting at the University of Denver, Colorado, Mechelle Pierce began her career as a Sales Representative at Apperson Print Resources 
It was quickly noted that Mechelle had a unique skill set that allowed her to review and analyze data files, reports, etc and
anticipate problems or troubleshoot issues that others may overlook. It was these exact characteristics that Apperson was looking for
to spearhead the new Digital Technology Services division that was acquired through an acquisition. In 2002 she transitioned to the
Director of Digital Technology Services, Mechelle developed a division that now offers a full line of services including; survey
design, printing, mailing/distribution, collection of raw data, and more. Under Mechelle.s direction, the division has grown more
than 500% in just 7 short years. Mechelle is also known for her great networking abilities, and has developed strategic partnerships
with many market research companies to assist with the deployment of paper-based surveys. In her spare time, Mechelle enjoys
traveling (but not on business), reading and volunteering. Mechelle may be reached via email at Contact Mechelle |
Amy Simon -Associate Conference Chair Amy R. Simon is a partner at Goodwin Simon Strategic Research. 
Amy Simon brings 20 years of political experience to her work as a pollster and
communications strategist. She conducts research on a variety of public policy issues and her clients include state and
local government, non-profits, labor unions, and both political and candidate committees. She has worked on candidate and
ballot measure campaigns at the federal, state and local level in over 40 states. Prior to founding GSV Research in 2001,
she worked as a pollster at Bennett, Petts and Blumenthal and GLS Research. A former campaign manager, direct mail
consultant, and political director before becoming a pollster, Ms. Simon helped elect pro-choice women at the Women's
Campaign Fund and was an organizer on the Dukakis presidential campaign. Locally, Ms. Simon managed city council and state
assembly races. Ms. Simon serves on the Board of Directors of PeacePAC and Emerge America and is a contributing author to
True to Ourselves, a collection of essays by prominent American women. Ms. Simon graduated with Honors from the University
of Michigan in 1987. She studied at the Joint Program in Survey Methodology (Universities of Maryland and Michigan). She is
a member of the American Association for Public Opinion Research and the American Association of Political Consultants. Contact Amy |
Quin Monson -Student Paper Competition Chair Quin Monson is an Assistant Professor of Political Science and the Assistant Director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University.  He received his PhD from Ohio State University in 2004. His research and teaching are in public opinion; campaigns, elections, and voting behavior; survey research methods; and religion and politics. He co-directs the Utah Colleges Exit Poll, a statewide exit poll conducted every two years since 1982, and the Utah Voter Poll, an Internet panel survey conducted periodically with a random sample of Utah voters. He is the co-editor of several books monographs on congressional and presidential elections and his research has also appeared in academic journals and edited volumes including Public Opinion Quarterly, Political Research Quarterly, Political Analysis, Presidential Studies Quarterly, and the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion. He is a Utah native and currently lives in Orem with his wife Kate and three children-Anna, Alex, and Sadie.
Contact Quin |
Bob Davis -Membership Chair Bob Davis is President of Davis Research, a second generation family business focusing on web and telephone data collection for public and private industry.  Bob's first job in market research came when he was 3 years old working for his mom taping quarters to outgoing mail surveys. Needless to say, he has seen a lot of change in the industry over the last 3 decades. Bob has a particular research interest in the appropriate application of web and multi-modal surveys to help answer research questions. When Bob used to have free time he enjoyed traveling, hiking, cooking, and eating. Now he spends most of his time singing Thomas the Train songs with his 2 year old son Zach and cooking up macaroni and cheese. Bob holds a B.S. in Computer Science from UCSD and Masters in Business Administration from the Anderson School of UCLA.
Contact Bob |
Leora Lawton -Councilor-at-Large (Webmaster) Leora Lawton wears many hats: 
She owns a boutique consultancy specializing in custom social science and consumer behavior research,
TechSociety Research (www.techsociety.com), and has been conducting online research since 1994. She teaches community-based
research and other courses in the UC Berkeley Sociology department. Because she enjoyed being on campus, in 2008 she began
working as the executive director of the Berkeley Population Center. She is president of a very small non-profit, the
Eastbayshore Eruv Corporation. Her scholarly research interest in family dovetails with her employee satisfaction
consulting: she is currently studying work-family balance, flexibility and job satisfaction. Past association experience
includes Treasurer and Executive Director of the Society of Applied Sociology, and with the section on Sociological
Practice of the American Sociological Association she has served as councilmember, Chair, Secretary, and now newsletter
editor. She feels like she doesn.t have any spare time with all that, but somehow manages to entertain friends with home
cooking and go bike-riding. Leora has a Ph.D. in sociology from Brown University.
Contact Leora |
Susan Pinkus -Councilor-at-Large Susan Pinkus is the former director of the Los Angeles Poll. 
She is starting her own consulting firm concentrating on public opinion polling, market research, political strategy and
communication. Much of the polling that she has done has been in the political arena . from pre-election polls to exit
polling. The Times has conducted exit polls since 1980 and has been the only other news organization that did exit
polling other than the consortium of networks. She is on the board of directors of the Roper Center and a trustee on the
National Council on Public Polls. She was on the executive council of AAPOR and past-president of PAPOR. She now serves
as PAPOR.s councilor-at-large. She has written several articles for Public Perspective, Public Opinion Pros, and PS .
Political Science and Politics Magazine, a chapter on push polling for the Encyclopedia of Public Opinion and for a
book, In Polls and Politics: The Dilemmas of Democracy. She has appeared on numerous TV and radio talk shows and has
been a guest lecturer at USC, Loyola Marymount University and Claremont College, among others. Under her direction, the
polling unit won awards for its Jewish-American, Israeli-Jewish polls and a Chinese American poll. Contact Susan |
| Anthony Salvanto -Councilor-at-Large -
Anthony Salvanto has been with CBS News since 
2002 where, in addition to his work on design and analysis for the CBS News and CBS News/New York Times Polls, he is a
member of the CBS News Decision Desk, which estimates election outcomes on Election Night. He contributes columns on public
opinion to CBSNews.com and has appeared on the CBS Evening News and on CBS Radio. His Ph.D. is from the University of
California, Irvine. Anthony is also Vice President/ President-Elect of the New York Chapter of AAPOR. Though based in New
York, Anthony also keeps a close eye on California's politics and its
weather reports. Contact Anthony
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Ginger Blazier -Past President Ginger has over fifteen years of proven market research management experience, working  with top national firms throughout her career history, specializing in the areas of healthcare, finance, IT, social
research, and multiple facets of consumer and executive research. She is currently working at Directions In Research, a market research
company in San Diego, which was established in 1985. She has been with DIR in the capacity of Field Director, VP of Operations, and,
currently, Senior VP for Business Development. She is also currently on the National Board for the MRA, a member of the AMA, and the
HMCA. On a personal note, Ginger had lived overseas for 15+ years in Latin America, South America, Japan, England, and Australia, due to
her dad's profession in the oil industry, She speaks Spanish fluently and learned "need to know words" in Japanese! Interests include
activities with her family and Samson, her Shetland Sheepdog, in addition to traveling, photography, cooking, and tennis. Contact Ginger
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Donna Fong: Councilor-at-Large Donna Fong is the Research Administrator of the Population Research Laboratory (PRL) at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta. 
The PRL is the largest academic-based survey research center in Western Canada that has served university researchers and
external clients since 1966. Donna is pleased to join PAPOR as a councillor-at-large in Canada.s most northerly provincial capital
city. She has 25 years of experience in budgeting, questionnaire design, and project management of telephone surveys, field studies,
self-administered questionnaires, and focus groups at the PRL, Statistics Canada, non-profit organizations, and management consulting
firms. Donna is the treasurer of the Society of Edmonton Demographers, an association devoted to the advancement of demographic
research in Alberta. She enjoys downhill skiing, hiking, photography (watch out for her camera at PAPOR and AAPOR Conferences!),
politics, and visiting public libraries and museums.
Contact Donna |
Ed Ledek: Councilor-at-Large 
Ed Ledek has been in and round research, politics, polling and market research most of his life. His first
professional job in the industry was with the 1980 U.S. Census. After working on local political races, his life
and educational goals took him to Utah. Once there, he immersed himself in the world of research. Since 1984,
Ed has worked for full-service, data collection, sample and online research companies. Through those
opportunities, Ed has developed an expertise in field training and implementation. He has trained researchers
all over the world in "Applied Research Methods 101." In addition, Ed has served within the PAPOR, AAPOR, MRA,
SWMRA, CMOR and AAPC communities. He has planned and coordinated many conferences. He has served on various
committees and he has spoken, moderated or presented at conferences around the country. Currently Ed is also
serving the MRA on various national committees. When not working or traveling-- a passion that takes him hither
and yon both domestically and internationally-- Ed enjoys sports and athletics (participating, watching on TV or
live) and reading across a variety of genres and subjects.
Contact Ed |
Elisha Smith: Councilor-at-Large Contact Elisha
Previous Councils:
2008 | 2009
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