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Our Team

a team meeting

The MayaTech team includes seasoned professionals with academic training, professional certification, and practical work experience in their respective fields. We maintain a resident staff capability that provides continuity and stability to our long-term projects. 

Jean-Marie Mayas, PhD         
Chief Executive Officer and Founder

Jean-Marie Mayas founded MayaTech in 1985. He led the company’s growth as a robust applied social science firm with a focus on the Federal sector. As CEO, he directs corporate strategy and development.

Suzanne Randolph Cunningham, PhD    
Chief Science Officer

Suzanne Randolph is MayaTech’s Chief Science Officer, serves as MayaTech’s Director of Continuing Education, and has 40 years of methodological expertise in survey, experimental, and evaluation research designs applied to the study of social and human services, and public health programs and policies. 

Deborah Parham Hopson, PhD, MSPH, RN    
Sr. Health Scientist

Dr. Parham Hopson provides guidance to MayaTech’s portfolio of projects on infectious chronic disease prevention and treatment, family planning, workforce development, and public health policy.  She previously served as a Rear Admiral in the US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and Sr. Health Advisor to the HRSA Administrator. 

Shelly Kowalczyk, MSPH, CHES    
Sr. Technical Vice President

Shelly Kowalczyk is Senior Technical Vice President and Manager of MayaTech’s Center for Community Prevention and Treatment Research (CPTR) and has over 18 years of experience in applied social sciences research, technical assistance and training, and the design and implementation of evaluations of programs, policies and systems.  

Diane Abbate, MA    
Sr. Associate

Diane Abbate is a Senior Associate, serving as MayaTech’s business development analyst. She has more than 40 years’ experience working as a senior Federal manager in the DHHS, and is knowledgeable about key government operating functions, and grant related monitoring and technical assistance.  

Valerie R. Spencer, MBA    
President and Chief Operating Officer

Valerie Spencer served in multiple capacities before becoming MayaTech’s President and Chief Operating Officer in 2015. Ms. Spencer focuses on organizational growth and development via data-informed strategic pathways for service and product offerings.  

Alison Mayas    
Executive Vice President

Alison Mayas is MayaTech's Executive Vice President. With nearly 40 years of experience in communications development and management, conference and meeting logistics management, she has directed and currently supports MayaTech's Health Information and Communications Division. 

Rose Tyler, MScM, ASCM    
Vice President, Contracts & Accounting

Rose Tyler leads our contracts and accounting offices with more than 15 years of experience including: client engagement, accounting oversight, cost analyses, federal regulations, contract compliance, risk management, contract vehicle and schedule management, subcontractor management and budgetary and programmatic issue resolution. 

Jhilya Mayas, PhD    
Sr. Technical Vice President & Research Scientist

Jhilya F. Mayas is Technical Vice President and Manager of MayaTech’s Center for Public Health Engagement (CPHE). She has over 12 years of experience in strategic planning and communications spanning an array of disease and public health areas, biomedical research, and emerging technologies.  

Arlyne Beeche, PhD     
Infectious Disease Strategic Planning Program Manager & Research Scientist

Arlyne Beeche, a seasoned disease prevention and control strategist who’s worked around the world, has over 30 years’ experience monitoring, evaluation, and providing technical assistance for projects on infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance and non-communicable diseases.