Community Involvement
David is an expert in technology and operations who is uniquely positioned to quickly assist companies facing the many challenges associated with accelerated periods of growth. He attributes much of his success to his first corporate position, becoming the director of operations of Uno Restaurant Corporation at the age of 24.
Realizing the long-term opportunities available in tech, David studied and pursued the industry, establishing a name for himself by helping businesses scale successfully.
David is currently based in Atlanta, Georgia where he most recently co-founded GET Valet, a tech firm revolutionizing the parking industry.
Education
Community Involvement
Jessica is a native of Calhoun County, Alabama. She got her start writing and managing grants while working in the Alabama Governor’s Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives. During her time there, she managed several statewide initiatives including Alabama Communities for Education, a high school dropout prevention program, and the Alabama Strengthening Communities Project, which was recognized nationally for best practices in grant management. Jessica lives in Alabama with her three children.
Education
Amanda has worked in the corporate world for FedEx and First Horizon Bank for a combined 20 years specializing in corporate financial analysis and large initiative forecasting. After living in Amsterdam, Netherlands, she retired from the public sector and spent time volunteering for committees in education and becoming an ordained Deacon at Idlewild Presbyterian Church.
Education
Holy Trinity University, BS Hotel and Restaurant Management.
Yona was raised in Palawan, Philippines, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. She actively engaged in government work, assuming the role of an administrative officer for the Community Enhancement and Livelihood Project (CELP) under the Provincial Government of Palawan. In this capacity, she led the promotion and implementation of a community-based approach to rehabilitating individuals who were previously dependent on drugs. Concurrently, Yona provided valuable mentorship to undergraduate students, offering guidance in their thesis and feasibility studies writing.
Yona is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Research and Development Management at the University of the Philippines, exemplifying her commitment to continuous learning and professional growth.Outside of her professional endeavors, Yona finds solace in the natural beauty of Palawan.
She continues to live on the island and often spends her weekends exploring the stunning beaches with her two young boys.
Erin brings over 15 years of sales expertise to the Simple Grants team. One of her earliest roles was in health insurance (during the massive transition to the Affordable Care Act), which provided a unique opportunity to develop her sales approach as a Compliance Analyst. Hearing the best (and worst) of calls from agents in her organization shaped her understanding of the importance of client rapport and trust. This continues to be her focus in her work today.
She has since worked in a wide variety of sales organizations, from educational technology to sustainable architectural design. This has broadened her scope of understanding the needs of different personas, and she has helped many companies develop their sales and marketing processes for increased efficiency.
She currently lives outside of Atlanta with her cats GoGo and Squish, and enjoys gardening and painting in her spare time.
Education
Kath is a full-time graphic designer and digital illustrator who handles several social media platforms for tourism and environmental related accounts in the island of Palawan, Philippines. Contracted by a national government agency to produce print materials for information campaigns on sustainable development and wildlife conservation.
Shantell Cook has been in the grant-writing business for eight years, during which time she’s become an expert in the field. Her specialties include Duns & Bradstreet, SAM.gov, Grants.gov, eRA Commons, and NSF FastLane. She excels at navigating the various federal and state grant portals. Shantell is largely self-taught and prides herself on her fast learning and ability to always figure out how to get the job done.
Shantell has guided hundreds of organizations through the various registration processes that are required by funders. Providing support for nonprofit organizations comes naturally to her as she loves meeting and working with new people. Building and maintaining relationships with clients is among her most valued qualities. Shantell is a young mother of two from the Four Corners area of New Mexico.
Education
Elizabeth has over 25 years of experience with SBIR DoD cost accounting and contract administration specializing in small businesses, full-charge accounting, financial statements, and so on. She is knowledgeable about compliance with federal procurement regulations, including FAR, DFARS, and GAAP. Elizabeth has a broad knowledge base in small businesses’ interactions with large government agencies. She defines herself to have a knack for providing business-related information to technical and industrial small business owners so that informed decisions and strategies are possible.
Education
Kathy Canning is a grant writer and development consultant specializing in institutional fundraising and development department operations. For two decades, she led development efforts for the New York City-based Education Through Music as it grew from start-up phase to sustaining a multimillion-dollar annual budget. Now based in Detroit, MI, she supports multiple organizations, with a focus on the education, arts education, and arts sectors. Kathy has worked with companies ranging in size from budgets of less than $50,000 to more than $60 million and has secured and managed hundreds of foundation, corporate, and government (city, state, and federal) grant awards, created database and tracking systems, and trained and mentored development staff. Her experience also includes serving as a grant review panelist for a city agency. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Princeton University and spent time as a math teacher in Singapore before entering the nonprofit fundraising field.
Kathy is also an accomplished violist, performing in orchestras and chamber ensembles in New York City and Detroit and attending chamber music workshops in the U.S. and overseas. She has served on the board of directors of the Chamber Music Conference and Composers’ Forum of the East since 2010.
Education
Loretta Carroll Stewart has been writing grants for over 20 years. She has provided grant writing and grant research services for Community Mental Health Centers, Universities, schools, and countless non-profit organizations. Throughout her career, she has written numerous successful grant applications for nearly every agency within the federal government and completed a multitude of state and foundation grants. Loretta has extensive experience in program development and program design, a real asset as she guides clients through the project planning process. Loretta has also served as a content reviewer and worked in grant quality control.
In addition to grant writing and program development, Loretta has worked as a Counselor and Training Coordinator at a Youth Treatment Center; served as a Certified Prevention Professional for a Regional Prevention Center; and was the Director of Morehead State University’s Community Outreach Partnership Center. At Morehead State University, she connected faculty and students with educational service opportunities within the surrounding community. Loretta has also served as a YouthBuild Director and provided program oversight to the federally funded program through three successful grant cycles. She has worked in both the public and private sectors but has ultimately ended up writing grants in every position that she has held. Loretta has a passion for the grant writing process and greatly values the opportunity to assist organizations as they provide much-needed programming and services for their communities.
During her free time, Loretta enjoys going on adventures with her daughter, hiking in the woods, and serving as a Troop Leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Her greatest joy in life is her daughter, Alyssa.
Education
With more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Catherine (Katie) Chapman CFRE has served in numerous nonprofit roles as the national development director for a runaway and homeless youth organization, an interim executive director for a faith-based organization, and as a consultant to philanthropists creating high-level fundraising events. She has experience with all aspects of raising funds including major donors, corporate philanthropy, cause marketing, and writing and winning grants from all levels of government, corporations, and private foundations. The Junior League awarded Katie an “Unsung Heroine Award,” and she has been designated a
40 Under 40 Award winner for her civic leadership.
Education
Candace Crisman has over 20 years of experience as a nonprofit capacity builder and fundraiser. She has worked as both a consultant and employee with over 50 agencies across Chicago’s south and west sides. She is accomplished in grant writing across a number of social service issue areas including education, workforce and economic development, youth, minority rights, addiction, and after-school programming at Chicago Public Schools.
She enjoys reading, traveling, working on her Spanish and French and volunteering with start-up nonprofits and programs to ensure success and best practices for the clients they serve.
Andrew is an experienced grant writer and grant manager with a professional background working with local, state, federal, and foundation grants. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Andrew received his undergraduate and graduate education from the University of South Dakota before entering the professional realm as a City Manager for municipalities in rural New Mexico and Kansas. Through his work in local government administration, Andrew secured and managed millions of dollars in grant funding for essential infrastructure and community projects. Andrew’s professional experience also includes serving as Grant Manager for a Tribal government in Kansas, where he was heavily involved in federal grant writing, grant management, and the federal procurement process. Andrew is passionate about working with organizations and partners by identifying, developing, and managing their grants.
Miranda has a wealth of experience writing RFPs, editing educational content, and in news producing and writing news content. At present she works in a public school district teaching English to speakers of other languages. Miranda enjoys spending her free time going on adventures with her daughters. As a family they enjoy hiking, camping, traveling the world, and spending time with family and friends.
A Political Scientist, Dr. Pizzano Miraglia is trained in behavior, external relations & government affairs, policy, political institutions, communication, research methodology, theory, and business. She has an acumen for detail and ethics with extensive experience in criminal justice, EMS, ADA, energy, sustainability and natural resources, healthcare & life sciences, intergovernmental affairs, public & nonprofit organizations, proposal & grant writing, project development, and negotiation. She is a published author with multiple peer-review articles and book chapters, and lectures on a variety of subjects from environmental policy and sustainability to small business development, and evidence-based policymaking. Certificated in 1) Conflict Resolution and Mediation; 2) Associated Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE)—Griffin & Hammis.
Education
Tiffany has over 20 years’ experience in the field of Special Education working with institutions and personnel at both K-12 and University levels on a national and international perspective. Tiffany’s focus has been on capacity building, evidenced-based practices, and training components. In addition, Tiffany has developed, implemented, and evaluated various community-based and evidenced-based programs from local, state, and federal levels. Tiffany developed and implemented with fidelity a teen truancy program and community-based mentoring program in the Bahamas for the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture. She has provided an array of services supporting and researching grants from all perspectives as well as has written federal and state grants with a high level of success.
An avid nonprofit professional and community advocate, Tyler brings 10 years of educational, professional, volunteer experience working primarily in some of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations and the most vulnerable communities. Tyler has two master degrees, Masters in Nonprofit Management and a Masters in Public Administration.
Tyler has been on several spectrums of grants, from grant writing, developing and releasing her own grants/RFPs for others to apply for, being a trusted grant reviewer for other organizations, and leading several grant workshops for community based organizations. She has lead and served on several affinity and advisory groups with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami’s Local College Access Network, to the NAACP. Currently Tyler is focused on strengthening the systems that influence youth across the state of Florida.
On her free time, Tyler enjoys spending time with her daughter, Parker, and beagle, Chance.
Education
Community Involvement
Dr. Susan Deschel has over twenty years of experience as a K-12 reading specialist, school district administrator, and consultant in K-12 public schools. Throughout her career, she has written grants, overseen state and federal programs, and conducted hundreds of workshops in the US and abroad, both live and virtual. Her current work focuses on the design of e-learning courseware, and evidence-based best practices for blended learning. Susan is also the founder and former CEO of Literacy Solutions and more, Inc., an online provider of teacher professional development. She is also the founder and CEO of Blended by Design, an e-learning consultancy, and literacy intervention courseware for K-12 students.
Education
April is an experienced grant writer, grant manager, workforce development coordinator, human resources training coordinator, and municipal advisory instructor. She has served in advisory and board positions with several nonprofit organizations, including Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness, and Johnson City Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy.
April enjoys spending time with her husband and chocolate lab Lucy on their certified century farm in Mountain City, TN.
Education
Community Involvement
Dr. Gwendolyn Willis-Darpoh has decades of experience in K – 16 education as a special education teacher and university professor. Her experience conducting research in the social and behavioral sciences, and training and technical assistance background, as well as her experience reviewing grant applications for the Department of Education (DOE) and the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were critical in her ability to assist local school districts nationwide implementing multimillion-dollar and multiyear government-funded grants. She has staffed proposal writing teams, worked with federal project officers to ensure grant compliance, participated in project evaluation teams, served as Deputy Director for federally funded initiatives, and has presented dozens of workshops regionally, nationally, and internationally in the live and virtual spaces. Dr. Willis-Darpoh has also had consultancies for several non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Her current focus is the plastic pollution overwhelming coastal communities in lower-income (LIC) countries like Ghana. She is researching to develop an awareness and sustainable eradication strategy explicitly targeting girls and women to educate them about plastic pollution’s health consequences and their role in combatting this issue.
Education
Elizabeth has over 25 years of experience with SBIR DoD cost accounting and contract administration specializing in small businesses, full-charge accounting, financial statements, and so on. She is knowledgeable about compliance with federal procurement regulations, including FAR, DFARS, and GAAP. Elizabeth has a broad knowledge base in small businesses’ interactions with large government agencies. She defines herself to have a knack for providing business-related information to technical and industrial small business owners so that informed decisions and strategies are possible.
Education
Kathy Canning is a grant writer and development consultant specializing in institutional fundraising and development department operations. For two decades, she led development efforts for the New York City-based Education Through Music as it grew from start-up phase to sustaining a multimillion-dollar annual budget. Now based in Detroit, MI, she supports multiple organizations, with a focus on the education, arts education, and arts sectors. Kathy has worked with companies ranging in size from budgets of less than $50,000 to more than $60 million and has secured and managed hundreds of foundation, corporate, and government (city, state, and federal) grant awards, created database and tracking systems, and trained and mentored development staff. Her experience also includes serving as a grant review panelist for a city agency. She holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Princeton University and spent time as a math teacher in Singapore before entering the nonprofit fundraising field.
Kathy is also an accomplished violist, performing in orchestras and chamber ensembles in New York City and Detroit and attending chamber music workshops in the U.S. and overseas. She has served on the board of directors of the Chamber Music Conference and Composers’ Forum of the East since 2010.
Education
Loretta Carroll Stewart has been writing grants for over 20 years. She has provided grant writing and grant research services for Community Mental Health Centers, Universities, schools, and countless non-profit organizations. Throughout her career, she has written numerous successful grant applications for nearly every agency within the federal government and completed a multitude of state and foundation grants. Loretta has extensive experience in program development and program design, a real asset as she guides clients through the project planning process. Loretta has also served as a content reviewer and worked in grant quality control.
In addition to grant writing and program development, Loretta has worked as a Counselor and Training Coordinator at a Youth Treatment Center; served as a Certified Prevention Professional for a Regional Prevention Center; and was the Director of Morehead State University’s Community Outreach Partnership Center. At Morehead State University, she connected faculty and students with educational service opportunities within the surrounding community. Loretta has also served as a YouthBuild Director and provided program oversight to the federally funded program through three successful grant cycles. She has worked in both the public and private sectors but has ultimately ended up writing grants in every position that she has held. Loretta has a passion for the grant writing process and greatly values the opportunity to assist organizations as they provide much-needed programming and services for their communities.
During her free time, Loretta enjoys going on adventures with her daughter, hiking in the woods, and serving as a Troop Leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. Her greatest joy in life is her daughter, Alyssa.
Education
With more than 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Catherine (Katie) Chapman CFRE has served in numerous nonprofit roles as the national development director for a runaway and homeless youth organization, an interim executive director for a faith-based organization, and as a consultant to philanthropists creating high-level fundraising events. She has experience with all aspects of raising funds including major donors, corporate philanthropy, cause marketing, and writing and winning grants from all levels of government, corporations, and private foundations. The Junior League awarded Katie an “Unsung Heroine Award,” and she has been designated a
40 Under 40 Award winner for her civic leadership.
Education
Candace Crisman has over 20 years of experience as a nonprofit capacity builder and fundraiser. She has worked as both a consultant and employee with over 50 agencies across Chicago’s south and west sides. She is accomplished in grant writing across a number of social service issue areas including education, workforce and economic development, youth, minority rights, addiction, and after-school programming at Chicago Public Schools.
She enjoys reading, traveling, working on her Spanish and French and volunteering with start-up nonprofits and programs to ensure success and best practices for the clients they serve.
Andrew is an experienced grant writer and grant manager with a professional background working with local, state, federal, and foundation grants. A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Andrew received his undergraduate and graduate education from the University of South Dakota before entering the professional realm as a City Manager for municipalities in rural New Mexico and Kansas. Through his work in local government administration, Andrew secured and managed millions of dollars in grant funding for essential infrastructure and community projects. Andrew’s professional experience also includes serving as Grant Manager for a Tribal government in Kansas, where he was heavily involved in federal grant writing, grant management, and the federal procurement process. Andrew is passionate about working with organizations and partners by identifying, developing, and managing their grants.
Miranda has a wealth of experience writing RFPs, editing educational content, and in news producing and writing news content. At present she works in a public school district teaching English to speakers of other languages. Miranda enjoys spending her free time going on adventures with her daughters. As a family they enjoy hiking, camping, traveling the world, and spending time with family and friends.
A Political Scientist, Dr. Pizzano Miraglia is trained in behavior, external relations & government affairs, policy, political institutions, communication, research methodology, theory, and business. She has an acumen for detail and ethics with extensive experience in criminal justice, EMS, ADA, energy, sustainability and natural resources, healthcare & life sciences, intergovernmental affairs, public & nonprofit organizations, proposal & grant writing, project development, and negotiation. She is a published author with multiple peer-review articles and book chapters, and lectures on a variety of subjects from environmental policy and sustainability to small business development, and evidence-based policymaking. Certificated in 1) Conflict Resolution and Mediation; 2) Associated Community Rehabilitation Educators (ACRE)—Griffin & Hammis.
Education
Tiffany has over 20 years’ experience in the field of Special Education working with institutions and personnel at both K-12 and University levels on a national and international perspective. Tiffany’s focus has been on capacity building, evidenced-based practices, and training components. In addition, Tiffany has developed, implemented, and evaluated various community-based and evidenced-based programs from local, state, and federal levels. Tiffany developed and implemented with fidelity a teen truancy program and community-based mentoring program in the Bahamas for the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and Culture. She has provided an array of services supporting and researching grants from all perspectives as well as has written federal and state grants with a high level of success.
An avid nonprofit professional and community advocate, Tyler brings 10 years of educational, professional, volunteer experience working primarily in some of the nation’s largest nonprofit organizations and the most vulnerable communities. Tyler has two master degrees, Masters in Nonprofit Management and a Masters in Public Administration.
Tyler has been on several spectrums of grants, from grant writing, developing and releasing her own grants/RFPs for others to apply for, being a trusted grant reviewer for other organizations, and leading several grant workshops for community based organizations. She has lead and served on several affinity and advisory groups with Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami’s Local College Access Network, to the NAACP. Currently Tyler is focused on strengthening the systems that influence youth across the state of Florida.
On her free time, Tyler enjoys spending time with her daughter, Parker, and beagle, Chance.
Education
Community Involvement
Dr. Susan Deschel has over twenty years of experience as a K-12 reading specialist, school district administrator, and consultant in K-12 public schools. Throughout her career, she has written grants, overseen state and federal programs, and conducted hundreds of workshops in the US and abroad, both live and virtual. Her current work focuses on the design of e-learning courseware, and evidence-based best practices for blended learning. Susan is also the founder and former CEO of Literacy Solutions and more, Inc., an online provider of teacher professional development. She is also the founder and CEO of Blended by Design, an e-learning consultancy, and literacy intervention courseware for K-12 students.
Education
April is an experienced grant writer, grant manager, workforce development coordinator, human resources training coordinator, and municipal advisory instructor. She has served in advisory and board positions with several nonprofit organizations, including Appalachian Regional Coalition on Homelessness, and Johnson City Chamber of Commerce Leadership Academy.
April enjoys spending time with her husband and chocolate lab Lucy on their certified century farm in Mountain City, TN.
Education
Community Involvement
Dr. Gwendolyn Willis-Darpoh has decades of experience in K – 16 education as a special education teacher and university professor. Her experience conducting research in the social and behavioral sciences, and training and technical assistance background, as well as her experience reviewing grant applications for the Department of Education (DOE) and the Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) were critical in her ability to assist local school districts nationwide implementing multimillion-dollar and multiyear government-funded grants. She has staffed proposal writing teams, worked with federal project officers to ensure grant compliance, participated in project evaluation teams, served as Deputy Director for federally funded initiatives, and has presented dozens of workshops regionally, nationally, and internationally in the live and virtual spaces. Dr. Willis-Darpoh has also had consultancies for several non-profit and for-profit organizations.
Her current focus is the plastic pollution overwhelming coastal communities in lower-income (LIC) countries like Ghana. She is researching to develop an awareness and sustainable eradication strategy explicitly targeting girls and women to educate them about plastic pollution’s health consequences and their role in combatting this issue.
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