Roberta Schaefer

executive director, Worcester Regional Research Bureau

Roberta Schaefer, the founding Executive Director of The Research Bureau, was elected President and CEO in 2008. Under her direction, the Bureau has grown from a one-person office preparing studies on municipal issues to a five-person regional center of information and expertise in all areas of public policy in Central Massachusetts. In the 24 years of its existence, Dr. Schaefer has researched, authored and edited more than 150 reports and organized over 140 public forums on issues of concern to the Greater Worcester region. These programs and reports reach a broad audience throughout the region. She is often called upon to testify before local, regional and state committees, and has been the featured speaker for public service organizations and business events. Since 2000, Dr. Schaefer has overseen The Research Bureau's citizen-informed government performance measurement program funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which has received local, state, and national recognition for its citizen engagement and collaboration with government leading to measurable improvements in government performance. Dr. Schaefer holds a B.A. from Queens College of the City University of New York and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Chicago. Dr. Schaefer served as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education from 1996 to 2007 and served as Vice-chair from 1998 to 2001. She is also a director of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, and a corporator of Bay State Savings Bank, Greater Worcester Community Foundation, and the Worcester Art Museum. With her husband, David Schaefer, Professor of Political Science at Holy Cross College, she has co-edited two books (Sir Henry Taylor's *The Statesman* and *The Future of Cities*) and authored many articles in professional journals.