People

Mr. Edward R. Kaempf, Director

Mr. Kaempf is a founding Director of NewPoint Group, established in 1995. He specializes in business process improvement, information technology feasibility and requirements analyses, and program evaluation; and financial, economic, and statistical analyses. Mr. Kaempf has managed and participated in over 250 public sector consulting projects. His projects include comprehensive business process reengineering efforts, nearly twenty information technology feasibility study reports for State of California, and multiple operations and rate setting evaluations, and statewide financial analyses. Prior to founding NewPoint Group, Mr. Kaempf was with Ernst & Young LLP's Public Sector Management Consulting Practice in Sacramento for sixteen years in Sacramento, where he provided consulting services to a broad range of public sector entities.

• University of Oregon, M.B.A. in Operations Research
• University of Oregon, B.S. in Computer Science
• University of Oregon, B.S. in General Science

Dr. James A. Gibson, Director

Dr. Gibson is a founding Director of NewPoint Group, established in 1995. Dr. Gibson was formerly the Director of Ernst & Young LLP's Public Sector Management Consulting Practice in Sacramento, where he had 18 years of management consulting experience. Dr. Gibson specializes in applied financial, economic, accounting, statistical, and market analyses; and in strategic planning, staffing analyses, business process improvement, information technology, and organization change management. He has successfully directed, managed, and participated in over 600 individual client-commissioned engagements during the course of his consulting career, many focusing on important California financial and economic issues; environmental resource management areas; and state-of-the-art special projects.

• Carnegie Mellon University, Advanced Training in Economics, Graduate School of Industrial Administration
• Iowa State University, Ph.D. in Resource Economics
• Iowa State University, Full Research and Teaching Scholarship (one of the top Resource Economic Programs in the country)
• University of California, Davis, B.S. in Applied Economics, with High Honors
• University of California, Davis, Nominated for a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Mr. Erik P. Nylund, Principal

Mr. Nylund is a Principal with NewPoint Group, and has been with the firm since 1996. He specializes in public sector performance measurement, program review and evaluation, business process improvement, and financial/economic analyses. He has managed and/or participated on nearly 100 engagements for various State of California and local government entities. Many of these projects have been in the areas of environmental resource management. Prior to joining NewPoint Group, Mr. Nylund spent several years with Ernst & Young LLP and Deloitte & Touche LLP as a public sector management consultant, specializing in environmental consulting.

• University of California, Davis, M.B.A. in Finance
• University of California, Davis, B.S. in Civil Engineering

Ms. Wendy B. Pratt, Senior Associate

Ms. Pratt is a Senior Associate with NewPoint Group, and has been with the firm since 1999. She specializes in environmental policy and programs, business process improvement, regulatory improvement, performance metrics, and economic analyses. Prior to joining NewPoint Group, Ms. Pratt spent eight years with Global Futures, an environmental and economic research organization. She also worked at the University of California, Davis, as a researcher for five years. Ms. Pratt has the ability to research, analyze, and present complex issues with a balanced and clear approach.

• University of California, Davis, M.S. in Ecology
• University of California, Davis, B.S. in Animal Physiology

Ms. Lingbo Liu, Associate

Ms. Liu is an Associate with NewPoint Group, and has been with the firm since 2007. She assists our more senior consulting staff in conducting data collection and performing primary data surveys. Ms. Liu also assists with project research data analyses and drafting reports. Prior to joining NewPoint Group, Ms. Liu worked at the State of California in higher education policy research.

• California State University, Sacramento, M.A. in Economics
• Shanghai University of Engineering Science, B.S. in Finance

Ms. Mendi Julien, Associate

Ms. Julien is an Associate with NewPoint Group, and has been with the firm since 2008. She assists our more senior consulting staff in project research, data analyses, and drafting reports. Prior to joining NewPoint Group, Ms. Julien worked at a manufacturing facility as a production manager.

• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, B.S. in Industrial Engineering

Mr. Robert J. Gill, Consultant

Mr. Gill has worked with NewPoint Group since 2008. He specializes in business process improvement, information technology (IT) feasibility studies, business and IT strategic planning, and organizational change management. Since 1986 Mr. Gill has managed and participated in public sector consulting projects, mostly with California State agencies. His projects include comprehensive business process reengineering efforts, IT feasibility study reports for the State of California, and business and IT strategic plans for CA state agencies. Prior to his work with NewPoint Group, Mr. Gill worked with Andersen Consulting’s Change Management Services Practice in Sacramento, The Warner Group, Gartner Group (Executive Programs, Consulting), Carrera Consulting, and Gill Consulting, through whom he has provided consulting services to a broad range of public sector organizations.

• University of Southern California/Marshall School of Business, M.B.A. in Management
• Harvard College, A.B. in English and American Literature and Languages

Mr. Eric Montas, Media Specialist

Mr. Montas is a Media Specialist for NewPoint Group, and has been with the firm since 2006. He oversees and participates in the design and production of all NewPoint Group media, including reports, proposals, and presentations. He has been a graphic designer and involved in the creative field since 1998.

• William Paterson University, B.F.A. in Computer Animation

NewPoint Group Fun Day - July 24, 2008

The NewPoint Group team had a fun day of indoor sky diving at iFly in Union City, CA. After viewing a short 10-minute film, everyone got their chance to experience simulated sky diving in the iFly wind tunnel.

NewPoint Group Day at Folsom Lake - August 27, 2010

The NewPoint Group team had a fun day of boating on Folsom Lake in Folsom, CA. Everyone was treated to a delicious lunch spread and the option to go waterskiing and wakeboarding.

NewPoint Group Christmas Dinner - December 17, 2011

NewPoint Group held their annual Christmas dinner at Biba Restaurant in Sacramento. Delicious food, good drinks and fun conversation were enjoyed by all who attended.