As the Director of CBR at St. Mary’s University, Rick Sperling, Ph.D., has engaged in evaluation activities with nonprofit organizations in the greater San Antonio area and was instrumental in the development of the University’s Community-Based Assessment and Evaluation academic certificate programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. The memorandum of understanding with CREA supports and furthers CBR’s mission "to practice the Marianist charism by increasing the internal capacity of local San Antonio nonprofit organizations to conduct culturally-responsive assessments and evaluations that lead to a more healthful and just social ecology.