People

Great people make a great company.

At OAC, we′re blessed with great people who love what they do. We invest in our people and ardently share with them the fruits of our success, recognizing that they ARE our success. With the most extraordinary collection of right brain/left brain talents in the market research industry, we′re tenacious when it comes to teamwork and enjoy nothing more than celebrating our clients′ triumphs at every turn. Here′s us:

	Jim Hoffman President I play a fierce game of tennis. All you need is love. But, at my age no one really cares.
	Joe Rafael Chairman From a shoe salesman to a computer programmer to a co-owner of OAC. Seeing my partner Jim Hoffman′s smiling face is the reason I come to work everyday. What a life.
	Shelley Hoffman Vice President, Human Resources At OAC we are one big happy family both literally and figuratively. I work along side my husband and son as well as a gaggle of co-workers I consider my extended family. Outside of work, I am proud of being the mother of my three wonderful children. They are amazing, independent and individual people who have blessed me with seven grandchildren collectively. Life is good.
	Lance Hoffman Vice President, Business Development It was an "offer I couldn′t refuse" that brought me to the OAC world, and ten years later I′m still grinning every time one of our clients tells me how much OAC has contributed to their success stories. Maybe I′m a highly-dedicated, "leave-no-stone-unturned" kind of marketing guy. Or maybe I′m just a sucker for kudos. Either way, it works for me.
	Alma Riviera Engel General Manager of Opinion Access Dominicana I was born in Guatemala, raised and educated in New York City and lived and traveled to many exotic places, including Ohio. Now, I am very fortunate that I get paid to live in a tropical paradise, the Dominican Republic and manage Opinion Access Dominicana. Here I am surrounded by extremely talented and hardworking people who love working at Opinion Access and love doing the work that we do. Beats hanging in Ohio any day!
	Amy Pedersen CATI Programmer I like to think that I write the words that make the whole world sing (or at least that make them give their honest opinion). Expressing one′s opinion is a privilege (in my mind). Making sure those opinions are valid and constructive is my calling. Research is under my skin, and helping people is in my heart. From being a nurse′s aide at an early age to being a diehard programmer now, it′s all about making something better for somebody somewhere.
	Jon Churchill Division Manager The opportunity to make an impact at OAC is what keeps me excited. I love making a difference and being given the freedom to use my skills and experience to do so is what keeps my motor running. As captain of my high school wrestling team I learned that finesse trumps brawn any day. Grace under pressure. It′s an OAC talent that makes our client′s job a whole lot easier.
	Tim Dahoda Project Coordinator "All the world′s a stage..." Okay, I couldn′t find a more subtle way to get in the fact that I have a BFA in Acting. And that′s relevant. Because acting is all about communicating and connecting which is what makes us so effective here at OAC. Think of me as sharp and visceralâ€¦wait that′s how I described my favorite book, "The Great Gatsby." No, please. No applause.
	Scott Feldmen Business Development Specialist Some people wonder why a daredevil snow skier like myself would choose research as a career. Well, here′s the deal. As a U.S. representative in the college world championships for show jumping, I learned the thrill of a challenge and the high of victory. Happily for me, OAC empowers its people to accept and meet our clients′ loftiest challenges then shares our exultation in success. Okay, so I′m a triumph junky. You say that like it′s a bad thing.
	Ben Beetle CFMC Programmer "You misspelled Weltanschauung"... all right, I admit I ripped that right off my favorite comic strip, Calvin & Hobbs. But it might give you a little idea of my warped sense of humor. I′m the guy with the left brain. The thinker. The one who might have been a nerd at one time but have been elevated to the lofty position of geek - techno geek to you. Think Bill Gates. Who′s laughing now? Seriously, I eat, sleep, drink technology, so you don′t have to. You′ll thank me later.
	John Cerve Tabulations/Programmer I′ve been with OAC from day one and have witnessed the evolution of the market research industry in a way many have not. Fortunately I′m with a company that prides itself on staying ahead of the curve when it comes to methodology and process. What keeps me hooked is the same thing that fuels my love of historical mysteries: there′s always something unknown waiting to be discovered, and in our industry it′s always based on truth.
	Yolanda Milford Personnel Manager At OAC, I′ve been a supervisor, shift manager, sample manager, trainer, recruiter, staffing manager, and now personnel manager. That pretty much translates into referee, counselor, coach and security guard. Through it all, one common thread has remained that I know to be true: do your best and your best will do good for you. My 12th grade English teacher preached that and, thankfully, I paid attention.
	James Simmons Project Coordinator I compare my job at OAC to my favorite past time of billiards. Skill, precision and anticipating the next move are essential when coordinating projects. Our clients rely on me to keep things in order and that′s exactly what I do. I′m focused and never behind the eight ball because I am so incredibly organized and dedicated. Ok, that′s my "cue" to get back to work.
	Seeronie Singh Quality Control Supervisor Being a cashier at McDonalds when I was 14 years old brought to my attention the vast amount of opinions people have and how willing they are to share their views. Then I traveled to China, where one basically can′t voice their opinion, which showed me a completely different perspective. Hence, my decision to study Market Research at Baruch College. I′m very proud to proclaim that I am the first person in my family to go to and graduate from college and in my opinion that′s a really big accomplishment - and, putting that education to work, project by project at OAC - I′m lovin′ it!!
	Ed O′Donnell Tracker Division Manager Quality is the magic word at OAC and after over a decade working here I ensure our clients get the best tracker results possible, over and over again. Other than ensuring quality, what I also enjoy about working at OAC is the activity, there′s never a dull moment. All the activity keeps me focused and dedicated so much so that I basically don′t do much outside of work other than read. My favorite book is Joseph Heller′s Catch 22 - go figure, the events in the book are described from different characters′ points of view - and in my opinion, that is a "win-win" situation.
	Lybov Kogan Assistant Controller I am from Tashkent, Uzbekistan (no, it′s not the same place where the movie Borat was filmed). Some people call me Russian, technically I′m a Uzbek. That′s sort of like Brooklynite versus New Yorker. I help handle the finances at OAC, so I have to get back to work.
	Claritza Guzman Project Coordinator I don′t know what was the hardest thing I′ve done in my life, be the first in my family to get a college degree, climb a cliff or give birth to my daughter. Either way, all three accomplishments have given me the strength to get through the intense OAC production meetings. After showing my stuff at a production meeting I feel like Superwoman - I can do anything! And, our clients benefit from a confident person in charge of their projects.
	Raphael Hernandez Staffing Manager I′m new to the market research industry and was attracted to OAD because having a stable job is important to me, and OAC is stable. Maybe my love for stability is due to my fear of earthquakes. I don′t think a fear of earthquakes makes me unique, but being unique and expressing one′s individuality is important to me. I come from a family of creative people, so individuality rules. The lone non-creative family member is an expert speleologist... definitely unique!

	Terene Nembhard Project Coordination and Quality Control Manager I grew up in Jamaica, you know, the place known for "One Love." Here′s what I love about our OAC team. Though we are from many different backgrounds, our company blends together all the skills that each person brings to the table to make it work like one well-oiled machine. I can hear Bob Marley singing, "We get together and feel alright," and we work alright too!