ABOUT US
What We Do
The Ochs Center is the only organization in the Chattanooga region that provides a full array of research and data analysis services for local non-profit organizations and local government:
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Collection and analysis of administrative data from government agencies or non-profit programs
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Public policy and best practices research
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Survey design and analysis
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Roundtables and focus groups
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Program evaluation
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Economic impact analysis and modeling
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Budgetary and operational reviews
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Assessment of community conditions
History
The Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies began serving the Chattanooga community as the Metropolitan Council for Community Services in 1962. The Metropolitan Council was the community’s first non-governmental health and human services planning agency. Acting as the planning arm for the local United Way, the Metropolitan Council was instrumental in the development of numerous community based efforts to provide services to children and the poor.
In 2000, the Metropolitan Council became the Community Research Council (CRC). CRC provided data collection and analysis services to non-profit organizations and local government. In addition, CRC housed the Southeast Tennessee Neighborhood Information Service, which in 2004 produced a major study on literacy in Hamilton County.
CRC became the Ochs Center for Metropolitan Studies in August 2008, to better reflect an increasing focus on policy issues that affect both the Chattanooga region metropolitan areas nationally.
Board of Directors
Vision, Mission, and Values
Vision:
“Empower organizations to better serve community needs.”
Mission:
“Providing independent evaluations and research to inform decision making that impacts the way communities think, live, work, and interact.”
Values:
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Accuracy
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Collaboration
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Objectivity
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Ethical Practices
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Equity
Mary Tanner, PhD, Chair
Dean Emeritus, Independent Consultant, UT Chattanooga
Benjamin Pitts, Governance
Vice President, Herman Walldorf Commercial Real Estate
Jim Catanzaro, PhD
Past President, Chattanooga
State Community College
Henry Schulson
President and CEO
Creative Discovery Mueum
Ben Wygal, PhD
Assistant to the President,
Southern Adventist University
Dave Buck, PhD, Vice Chair
Executive Director,
Chattanooga Autism Center
Edna Varner, EdD, Governance
Senior Advisor, Public Education Foundation-Chattanooga
Jeannine Grogg
Retired, Hamilton County Government, Executive Assistant
Stacy Lightfoot, MS
Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Engagement, UT Chattanooga
Suzy Anthony, Treasurer
Vice President,
United Way of Greater Chattanooga
Hal Baker
Community Resource Specialist , ArcTN
Tera Roberts, MPA
Chief Executive Officer,
Orange Grove Center
Keith White, PhD
VP of Research and Effectiveness, Public Education Foundation, Chattanooga
Professional Team
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Maryanne Cunningham
Executive Director
Alice Wershing
Inclusion Consultant
Olga Ebert-Holberg
Program Evaluation Consultant
Elizabeth DeGeorge
Communications Director
Ed Sullivan
Research Librarian
Janet Brewer
Grant Writer
Joyce Bridges
Early Care and Education Consultant
Jorg Holberg
Statistical Consultant
Clients
Sponsors
Partnerships
The Ochs Center
1400 McCallie Avenue, STE 300
Chattanooga TN 37404
Or
PO Box 4160
Chattanooga, TN 37405
maryanne.cunningham1@gmail.com
865-924-5913
Changing the way
Chattanooga thinks.
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