Who We Are
Covian consultants have extensive experience in conducting applied research, program evaluation, facilitation of training, curriculum development, strategic planning, policy analysis, social marketing, and coordination of systems of care in multicultural and bilingual settings throughout Florida, nationally, and internationally.
We Speak English, French, Haitian Creole, and Spanish
Maritza Concha holds a PhD in Public Affairs with a Concentration in Public Administration from University of Central Florida, a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies at the University of Miami and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations at Florida International University. For the past 13 years, Dr. Concha has been working as an evaluator for local non-profits, serving Latino/a immigrants. Her other areas of interest are service partnerships and evaluating projects that serve at risk populations such as victims of human trafficking, refugees, and low income minorities. Dr. Concha is also a lecturer at University of Central Florida where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses on nonprofit administration, program evaluation and research methods. Lastly, Dr. Concha has published her research and evaluation studies in peer review journals such as the Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences, Journal of Community Practice and International Journal of Public Administration.
Maria Elena Villar holds a Ph.D. in Communication and a Master in Public Health from University of Miami, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Columbia University. Her experience includes program evaluation at the national and international level as well as strategic communication for social change. Prior to co-founding Covian Consulting, Inc., she was the Director of Research at the Partnership for the Study and Prevention of Violence at the University of Miami and a Senior Research Scientist at the Institute for Child Health Policy at Nova Southeastern University. A published researcher, Dr. Villar is an associate professor at Florida International University.