Kathleen Barfield, MBA
Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Information Officer

Derrick Flores
Information Systems Manager

Patrick Guerra
Director, Information Solutions and Services

Shannon A. Hunter, PHR
Manager, Human Resources and Contracts

Kimberly Gwinnup
Executive Assistant


Kathleen Barfield, MBA – Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Information Officer

Kathleen Barfield is a founding partner of Edvance Research, Inc. and oversees two key functions. As Chief Administrative Officer she oversees the company’s administrative functions, including finance, human resources, contract administration, legal affairs and information technology.  As Chief Information Officer she leads the implementation of innovative solutions to scale high-quality products and services for educators at all levels.  

Barfield was a leading pioneer in the early 1990s movement to develop standards for sharing student information between educational institutions using early Internet protocols, and during this period she chaired the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) task force on electronic record transfer. She also managed several large-scale development efforts to build student data management systems, and developed solutions for district and state reporting needs.

Barfield has provided technology leadership for organizations such as the California Department of Education, WestEd, Oracle Corporation, and Harcourt Assessment, and she has also consulted with student information system vendors and education agencies on instructional and administrative technology solutions.

At Harcourt, Barfield was responsible for infusing innovation into reporting products and she was a core team member of a company-wide project to identify and develop innovative business solutions. As lead technology manager, she provided strategic direction for the development of the company’s eTesting platform.

Barfield was instrumental in developing the California School Information Services (CSIS) program in the early 1990s that provided accountability reporting on student-level information. She worked with the NCES, institutions of higher education, and school districts to develop and implement a student transcript program for all students, as well as a statewide system for migrant education reporting.

Through her work with Oracle and local school districts, she helped districts implement data warehousing solutions to meet their needs for data-driven reporting solutions.

Barfield has served on a number of boards and task forces, including the board of the Schools Interoperability Framework (SIF), the California Educational Data Processing Association, the Telecommunications Task Force of the California Superintendents’ Educational Services Association, and the Information Management Advisory Council of the California Department of Education.

Barfield won a U.S. Department of Education Award in 1992 and the Sustained Superior Accomplishment Award from the California Department of Education in 1988.

She is the author of numerous papers and presentations, including The Future of eTesting and Effective Technology Integration: Planning for Results. She also served as executive producer for Technology Planning: Putting the Pieces Together, a video created for a national conference and distributed in the WestEd region.

As Chief Information Officer for REL Southwest, Barfield works closely with the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) and districts and schools within the region to incorporate leading edge technology that facilitates research studies, as well as the delivery of research results to constituents.  

Barfield earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies from the University of the Pacific at Stockton, Calif., and a master’s degree in business administration from California State University at Sacramento.  She also studied Japanese at Stanford University’s Graduate Language Program, and completed certification at the California School Leadership Academy.

As information systems manager, Derrick Flores is responsible for the development, implementation and maintenance of business applications systems that improve business processes and support the company’s critical business strategies, including SharePoint systems that are used to power the company’s Intranet and Web site.  He also develops and administers the company’s data warehouse and manages software purchase and licensing activities.

Prior to joining Edvance Research, Flores was a database analyst at Harcourt Assessment, where he designed and built database systems for sales metrics, proposal planning and other applications, and created SharePoint sites for the company’s national sales teams.  Before that, Flores held several technology-based positions, including associate systems engineer for Sony Semiconductor, Inc., where he designed, built and maintained a site inventory tracking system.  As a database developer for Corestaff Services, Flores implemented a bar code tracking system for an aircraft engine manufacturer.

Flores has studied information systems, network administration and computer programming at Palo Alto College and San Antonio College.  He is proficient in a wide range of Microsoft software tools, including Microsoft Project, Microsoft Access and Microsoft Visual, as well as Oracle 8i SQL and Brio Intelligence.

As director of information solutions and services (ISS), Patrick Guerra develops ISS strategy, manages all activities of the ISS staff, and directs the work of contracted technology vendors.  Prior to joining Edvance Research, Guerra was a network administrator at Harcourt Assessment, where he was instrumental in deploying, configuring and maintaining Microsoft Project Server 2003 and SharePoint services.  Guerra holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a doctor of jurisprudence degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

Shannon Hunter joined Edvance Research with more than 12 years of prior experience in the field of human resources.  As the company’s manager of human resources and contracts, Hunter’s primary responsibilities include benefits administration, policy development, performance management, staffing, and contracts administration.

Hunter’s previous experience includes virtually every aspect of human resources management, including recruiting and new-hire orientation, benefits administration, employee relations, performance management and the implementation of new HR initiatives and special projects.  Hunter has worked in a wide variety of industries, including Big Four accounting and consulting, petrochemical, maritime, education, and banking, at companies such as Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Sabic Americas, Lloyd’s Register, Harcourt Assessment, and Security Service Federal Credit Union. 

Hunter earned a bachelor’s degree in personnel administration from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and is certified as a professional in human resources (PHR).  She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the San Antonio Human Resources Association, and the Employment Management Association.

While living in Houston, Hunter was very active in the Houston Human Resources Management Association, serving on the organization’s board as secretary, as well as being a member of numerous committees, including Diversity, Membership, Welfare-to-Work, Community & Volunteer, and the Mentoring Initiative.  In 2001, the organization recognized Hunter as Volunteer of the Year for her work on the Welfare-to-Work committee.  Hunter was also a charter member of the Houston chapter of the National Association of African Americans in Human Resources.

Kimberly Gwinnup joins Edvance Research as Executive Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer. In this capacity she provides support for the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation Statewide Teaching Tools for Excellence project, Information Technology, and Finance.

Prior to joining Edvance Research, Kimberly has held several executive assistant roles in various industries, including Education, Aerospace, Engineering, and Manufacturing. Most recently, she served as the Assistant to the Chief Information Officer of Harcourt Assessment.

Kimberly has vast experience working on special team projects and her experience in education technology is utilized across Edvance projects. She has attended The University of North Dakota and St. Philip’s College with the focus on Business Administration.