The DAG Team
Brett McFadden
Managing principal
Brett W. McFadden brings over 26 years of executive leadership in school facilities, bond program management, finance, and district governance. Having served as superintendent, deputy superintendent, and chief business officer in multiple California districts, Brett has successfully led bond programs totaling over $650 million, significantly impacting TK-12 education statewide.
Alan Reising
Executive Vice President,
Program Management and Strategy
Alan joined DAG after retiring as Assistant Superintendent – Facilities & Operations for the Long Beach Unified School District, where he led the district's $4.8 billion facilities construction and modernization program. Alan was the Chair of the Coalition for Adequate School Housing (CASH) from 2023 to 2025.
Liz Giles
School Facilities Advisor
Liz is a consultant experienced in school construction projects, with six years of experience managing projects totaling $37 million. Her background working at Redding School District and other Northern California districts provides her with a unique skill set to assist smaller schools in navigating construction challenges effectively.
Dana Grudem
Senior program manager
Dana Grudem brings 25+ years in TK–12 facilities planning and capital program management. She has directed over $3 billion in bond-funded programs for Long Beach USD and led $1 billion+ in new construction and $500 million in modernization for Irvine USD. Dana aligns strategy, funding, and design to deliver student-centered learning environments at scale.
Brian Stephens
School Facilities Advisor
Brian Stephens brings over 30 years of leadership in public education, including over 20 years as a Superintendent and Assistant Superintendent of Business Services. At DAG, he leverages his extensive experience—overseeing successful bond programs totaling more than $348 million. Brian currently works with McKinleyville UESD.
Cherie Chenoweth
Senior Director, Facility Programs
Cherie brings over 20 years of TK–12 facilities business leadership, including fiscal management, procurement, cash-flow modeling for a $1.9B bond program, and bond/state funding audits. At DAG, she helps districts strengthen program management with practical financial tracking and scalable, audit-ready systems that keep projects on schedule and on budget.
Melanie Nazarbekian
Planning and controls manager
Melanie brings hands-on school facilities experience supporting major California school district construction programs, complemented by private-sector program management expertise. Her background in facilities planning, state agency coordination, and capital program delivery strengthens our ability to provide rigorous planning, controls, and oversight across all projects.
Junel Taufa
Program Coordinator
Junel has over 10 years of executive-level administrative experience in education. She served six years in Human Resources and four years as a Senior Executive Assistant to a County Office of Education Deputy Superintendent. Junel's strong organizational and project coordination skills ensure effective support for school-focused construction programs.
Aurora Thompson
Grants funding coordinator
Aurora leads our efforts to help districts identify, assess, and secure facility-related grants and supplemental funding aligned with their capital and educational priorities. Drawing on her experience as a senior district leader, she guides clients through eligibility reviews, grant strategy, application development, and post-award compliance to help districts maximize funding opportunities.
Ann Marie Johansen
Program assistant
Ann Marie brings extensive administrative, budgeting, and data management experience from her work supporting large public agencies and education organizations. Her background in proposal development, fiscal oversight, grants management, and operational support strengthens our program management efforts and enhances the services we provide to our district clients.
Mary Morris
Architect-in-residence
Mary brings deep expertise in facilities planning, architectural design, and district-level representation across TK–14 projects. She adds specialized support to our clients through her experience with facilities assessments, educational specifications, master planning, design-build oversight, and stakeholder engagement.
Darren Fort
Senior project manager
Darren brings over 38 years of combined experience in construction trades and K-12 educational facilities leadership. Beginning his career as a Journeyman Carpenter, Darren transitioned to public education, dedicating 25 years to a local school district culminating as Maintenance Supervisor, where he played a vital role in executing local bond programs. He later served the Monterey County Office of Education as Director and subsequently Senior Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Transportation (MOT). In these roles, he managed departmental budgets, engineered 5-year deferred maintenance plans, and mentored operational and transportation supervisors. Darren’s extensive background gives districts a trusted, "in-the-chair" perspective on facilities management, fiscal stewardship, and capital improvements.
"We are not just managing bonds; we are protecting the future of our students and the public dollars entrusted to our school facilities."
What We Believe
The District’s Interests Come First
Trust Built Through Clarity
We operate with a fiduciary mindset: independent, objective, and anchored to outcomes that serve the district, not outside vendors.
We create alignment among boards, staff, architects, contractors, and oversight committees, especially when pressure is high.
Lived District Experience Matters
Our team has worked as superintendents and chief business officials. We understand the mission because we have lived it.
Complexity Requires System-Level Thinking
Budget, schedule, and governance are interconnected. We manage across the full system, not in silos.