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 the tropical islands of Palawan, in the Philippines, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree. She was involved with government work and became an administrative officer for the Community Enhancement and Livelihood Project (CELP) of the Provincial Government of Palawan, promoting and implementing a community-based approach to the rehabilitation of former drug-dependent individuals. While working, she also helped undergraduate students with mentorship on theses and feasibility studies writing. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Research and Development Management at the University of the Philippines.
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
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.
Education
Experienced National Director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Event Management, Management, and Fundraising. Strong community and social services professional with a Certification in Planned Giving focused in Fundraising
Education
Rachel is the child of a line of military veterans. As a part of the army brat lifestyle, she has lived all over. Her background is as varied as her experience. She has over 13 years of grant development, administration, and coordination experience in medicine, economics, and university-level work derivatives. As a c-suite executive in nonprofit administration, she tailored a love for the pursuit of “good.” She has curated and administered grants for some of the largest government agencies, foundations, and for-profit and not-for-profit entities. Rachel has secured grants for such entities as D.O.Ed, Petco Love Foundation, Lamar Family Foundation, AstraZeneca, and many more. As a transformation leader, she is regarded by community partners, staff members, and executive Board members; she can deliver highly effective and tightly aligned proposals, programs, events, and services for a variety of organizations. Rachel is a devout animal lover. She has three dogs and one cat that keep her life interesting.
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.
Education
A native of Richmond, Virginia, Charles was recruited in 2018 to manage a grant-funded pulmonary program in New Mexico where he specialized in the administrative side of grant management and pulmonary medicine. During his three-year tenure, he secured over 5 million dollars in federal grant awards, spoke at high-level seminars for the Health Resource and Service Administration, and published multiple manuscripts relating to occupational lung disease and COVID-19. Charles also serves as a Health Resource and Service Administration grant reviewer for federal grants in a variety of fields. In 2021, he decided to move closer to family and began work as an AmeriCorps volunteer for a re-entry program in northern Mississippi.
Education
Community Involvement
Barbara Rachelson has over 40 years’ experience helping nonprofits to grow, diversify their funding, and develop programs to deliver on their mission more effectively. She has a lengthy record of finding and writing winning (federal, state, and local government funds; as well as United Way, corporate, private and family foundation grants) that brought in millions of dollars to support general operating expenses, new and expanded programs, capital, and equipment purchases, building purchases and renovations; as well as capacity building, and demonstration projects.
Barbara has 33 years of experience as an executive director at three statewide nonprofit organizations: the Epilepsy Foundation of Vermont, Lund Family Center, and the Michigan Network of Runaway, Homeless, and Youth Services. She was the Director of Outpatient Services at the Counseling Service of Addison County (a designated mental health and substance use treatment program); Director of Program Development at Spectrum Youth Services; and the Program Director of Detroit Transit Alternatives’ runaway youth shelter. Barbara has served as a grant reviewer and peer monitor for the federal government.
Education
With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Tonya has served in a spectrum of employee, consulting, and board roles. As a consultant, she has garnered $25 million in grant funding for nonprofits in Health & Human Services, Behavioral Health, Economic Development, Education, and faith-centered nonprofits. In employment roles, she has developed a HUD housing counseling program and a Circles USA chapter in her local community. In addition, she is an active member of the Project Management Institute and specializes in nonprofit ideation, program planning, and strategy.
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
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
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
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.
Education
Experienced National Director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Event Management, Management, and Fundraising. Strong community and social services professional with a Certification in Planned Giving focused in Fundraising
Education
Rachel is the child of a line of military veterans. As a part of the army brat lifestyle, she has lived all over. Her background is as varied as her experience. She has over 13 years of grant development, administration, and coordination experience in medicine, economics, and university-level work derivatives. As a c-suite executive in nonprofit administration, she tailored a love for the pursuit of “good.” She has curated and administered grants for some of the largest government agencies, foundations, and for-profit and not-for-profit entities. Rachel has secured grants for such entities as D.O.Ed, Petco Love Foundation, Lamar Family Foundation, AstraZeneca, and many more. As a transformation leader, she is regarded by community partners, staff members, and executive Board members; she can deliver highly effective and tightly aligned proposals, programs, events, and services for a variety of organizations. Rachel is a devout animal lover. She has three dogs and one cat that keep her life interesting.
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.
Education
A native of Richmond, Virginia, Charles was recruited in 2018 to manage a grant-funded pulmonary program in New Mexico where he specialized in the administrative side of grant management and pulmonary medicine. During his three-year tenure, he secured over 5 million dollars in federal grant awards, spoke at high-level seminars for the Health Resource and Service Administration, and published multiple manuscripts relating to occupational lung disease and COVID-19. Charles also serves as a Health Resource and Service Administration grant reviewer for federal grants in a variety of fields. In 2021, he decided to move closer to family and began work as an AmeriCorps volunteer for a re-entry program in northern Mississippi.
Education
Community Involvement
Barbara Rachelson has over 40 years’ experience helping nonprofits to grow, diversify their funding, and develop programs to deliver on their mission more effectively. She has a lengthy record of finding and writing winning (federal, state, and local government funds; as well as United Way, corporate, private and family foundation grants) that brought in millions of dollars to support general operating expenses, new and expanded programs, capital, and equipment purchases, building purchases and renovations; as well as capacity building, and demonstration projects.
Barbara has 33 years of experience as an executive director at three statewide nonprofit organizations: the Epilepsy Foundation of Vermont, Lund Family Center, and the Michigan Network of Runaway, Homeless, and Youth Services. She was the Director of Outpatient Services at the Counseling Service of Addison County (a designated mental health and substance use treatment program); Director of Program Development at Spectrum Youth Services; and the Program Director of Detroit Transit Alternatives’ runaway youth shelter. Barbara has served as a grant reviewer and peer monitor for the federal government.
Education
With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Tonya has served in a spectrum of employee, consulting, and board roles. As a consultant, she has garnered $25 million in grant funding for nonprofits in Health & Human Services, Behavioral Health, Economic Development, Education, and faith-centered nonprofits. In employment roles, she has developed a HUD housing counseling program and a Circles USA chapter in her local community. In addition, she is an active member of the Project Management Institute and specializes in nonprofit ideation, program planning, and strategy.
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
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.
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