About Attack the Gap
Attack the Gap helps organizations close the distance between current performance and their full potential.
Led by Patrick Mies, Ph.D., our team brings experience in organizational leadership, strategic improvement, staff development, special education, and services for people with disabilities. We partner with leaders to understand systems, preserve strengths, identify barriers, and develop practical strategies aligned with each organization’s mission, people, and priorities.
Our Philosophy
Stronger organizations are built through thoughtful leadership, honest reflection, stakeholder trust, and the courage to translate evidence into action. Our collaborative, evidence-informed approach strengthens internal capacity so improvement can last beyond the engagement.
About Patrick Mies
Patrick G. Mies, Ph.D., is an organizational leader, consultant, educator, and business owner with more than 25 years of experience helping organizations navigate complex challenges, strengthen systems, and pursue meaningful improvement.
His career has included service as a special educator, high school assistant principal, principal, director of special education, executive cabinet member, and university instructor. These roles provide a practical understanding of leadership, culture, decision-making, employee development, compliance, and the systems that translate mission into daily practice.
As founder and president of Attack the Gap Educational Services, Dr. Mies serves as a systems-level strategist, trusted advisor, and thought partner. He draws upon stakeholder interviews, surveys, observations, document reviews, benchmarking, and facilitated conversations to identify strengths, reveal barriers, clarify priorities, and develop evidence-informed paths forward.
His experience in direct service, educational leadership, nonprofit board service, and consultation brings particular depth to organizations serving people with disabilities. He understands performance from the perspectives of people receiving services, frontline employees, administrators, executive leaders, and governing boards.
Dr. Mies earned his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Eastern Michigan University, with a focus on leadership, organizational theory, and decision-making. He also serves as an instructor at the University of Michigan and has supervised student teachers and aspiring directors of special education through Eastern Michigan University. Rather than imposing predetermined solutions, he helps leaders preserve what works, strengthen internal capacity, and make informed decisions that advance their missions.