Kim Joyce, GPC
Kim Joyce, GPC (Grant Professional Certified), a native of Phoenix, began her career in education and has been involved with the nonprofit sector as a grant professional, fundraising professional, and volunteer for over 20 years. In 2010, Kim founded her grant writing firm, Kim Joyce & Associates, that provides services in the areas of grant writing, prospect research, grant writing training, grant office assessments, donor cultivation coaching, and nonprofit capacity building.
Kim’s clients have included nonprofits providing services in the areas of health and human services, education, at-risk youth, homelessness, healthcare, the arts, charter schools, and faith-based organizations, as well as institutes of higher education, school districts, tribes, and units of local government. Her firm, one of the largest in Arizona, is comprised of highly skilled employees and subcontractors from across the nation and has assisted clients in receiving grant awards of more than $164 million.
Two distinctions set Kim apart from her peers in the industry: she is one of only 21 GPCs in the state of Arizona, and she is one of only 32 GPA Grant Professionals Association (GPA) Approved Trainers in the world. Kim earned her GPC certification through the Grant Professionals Certification Institute (GPCI) and is also a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Continuing Education Approved Provider.
Kim is a proud member of GPA – Arizona Founding Chapter, the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), and also serves as a Board Member of the GPCI. She enjoys giving back to the community, both personally, and professionally. Kim previously served as the Board Secretary of the GPA – Arizona Founding Chapter and on various local foundation and government review panels, such as Valley of the Sun United Way, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, and the City of Phoenix CDBG grant review panel.
Kimberly Rogers, GPC
Dale Braden, GPC
Dale Braden, GPC, is a Colorado native and moved to Portland, Oregon after graduating from Colorado State University. Dale worked as a post-award grant administrator at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) for 8.5 years before leaving to work with an international nonprofit organization, Youth With A Mission. He returned to OHSU in March 2006 as research grant administrator, ensuring grant applications were complete, as well as assisting with budget preparation and application assembly. Dale worked with investigators on internal compliance, provided monthly spending projections, approved expendit
D’Laun Oubre
D’Laun earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Southern University and A&M College and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Formerly a resident of Los Angeles, California, D’Laun moved back to Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina to assist with relief efforts. She now resides in St. James Parish, Louisiana, a river parish suburb southwest of New Orleans, LA.
Her hobbies include baking southern-inspired desserts and traveling.
Audra Davis, GPC
Amanda Ripstra, GPC
Allison Boyd, GPC
Meredith Burke Hammons, Ph.D.
Client Engagement Specialist
Smyrna, GA
Dr. Meredith Burke Hammons has a varied career in education. She taught at the high school, college, and graduate levels, worked as a librarian in public and academic libraries, and served as the assistant director of the local office of a national, education-based nonprofit. Through her library work and love for research, she began grant writing, primarily focusing on youth development, education, human services, and faith-based organizations. She is active in the Georgia Grant Professionals Association, currently serving as treasurer, and is a long-time volunteer in a local mentoring program for elementary school children. Meredith holds a Ph.D. in Religion from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Religion from Davidson College.
Harmony Nelson
Senior Quality Assurance Manager
Mesa, Arizona
Harmony is an experienced nonprofit executive, having worked with the Boys and Girls Clubs, United Way, and multiple government and collegiate organizations in Arizona, California, and Missouri. She brings expertise in program development and management, grant writing, and management information systems. Harmony has bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and English Literature. Her non-profit experience has focused on foster care, workforce development, veterans, children’s literacy, and homelessness.
Martin Bimler, CFRE
Quality Assurance Manager
St. Petersburg, Florida
Martin Bimler, CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive), brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing communication, fundraising, and grant development. He has worked with local, national, and international organizations helping funders and clients connect to solve problems. His non-profit experience has focused on children and family services, substance use, mental and behavioral health, workforce development, homeless services, and the arts. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication/Advertising from Purdue University and a Master’s Degree in Advertising from The University of Texas at Austin, where he earned the designation of Texas Creative for writing. He is an active member of the Association for Christian Fundraising, a Past President of the Grants Collaborative of Tampa Bay, and a member of the Board of Directors of a grassroots organization dedicated to eradicating mental health disparities in marginalized communities. Originally from the Chicago area, he calls St. Petersburg, FL his home and remains active in the ceramic arts community by teaching wheel throwing and raku firing.
Kristen Krey
Director of Government and Community Engagement
Avondale, AZ
Kristen serves as our Director of Government and Community Engagement. She has over thirty years of public service with direct experience in Public Safety, Community Services/Engagement, and Grants Management. She has a proven track record of executive leadership, delivering results-driven approaches, providing strategic advisory services, and successfully leading complex projects. She has also created and delivered training in numerous disciplines, including Grants Management, Project Management, Leadership Development, and Public Safety. Kristen has a BA in Criminal Justice and Political Science, an MA in Organizational Management and is a CPM, Certified Public Manager. She has served as Adjunct Professor for Webster University MBA program at Luke Airforce Base. She lives in the metro-Phoenix area.
Becca Buster
Human Resource Specialist
Phoenix, Arizona
Becca is originally from Morrison Colorado and after graduating high school went out to Phoenix to attend Grand Canyon University. While there she gained experience in leadership, volunteer work, time management, and organizational skills. After graduation, she worked for a small company where she utilized her skills to help rapidly grow the team from 1 employee to 45. She specializes in hiring and onboarding new employees, training and implementation, and organizational management. Becca is excited to bring her experience to the Administration Division at Kim Joyce and Associates as the Human Resource Specialist.
Liz Gould
Project Managment Specialist
Erie, Pennsylvania
Liz brings 17 years of experience in the non-profit and education fields. She has worked with several non-profit organizations in various management, fundraising, and event planning roles. Liz also has a background in higher education having served as a financial aid counselor for many years. Liz is a 2005 graduate of Baldwin Wallace College with a BA in Communications.
Angie Bardsley
Prospect Research & Grants Associate
Moline, IL
An Illinois native, Angie Bardsley has 14 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector, working in higher education, the arts, and healthcare. Her roles have involved writing grants, conducting research, raising annual funds, leading fundraising events, and creating donor relations strategies. She has a Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Organizational Leadership from St. Ambrose University, as well as a copyediting certificate from UC San Diego Extension. She has served on the board of a local animal shelter, been the Chapter Administrator for her area’s Association of Fundraising Professionals chapter, and volunteers for a nonprofit that offers art opportunities to people impacted by cancer.
Jenna Joyce
Data Entry Specialist
Scottsdale, AZ
Jenna Joyce is a senior at Grand Canyon University where she is majoring in Psychology with a minor in Behavioral Health Sciences. She has varied skillsets including data entry, writing, customer relations management, and more. She has volunteered with nonprofits and youth serving organizations both nationally and internationally. She is excited to bring her love of serving others, strong academic background and attention to detail to Kim Joyce & Associates.
Laurie Pierce
Senior Grants Associate
Scottsdale, AZ
Terry Driscoll, MPA
Senior Grants Specialist
Phoenix, Arizona
Terry Driscoll, MPA has experience securing funding from a wide spectrum of sources, including corporate and private foundations, state and local governments, and federal grant programs. Successful federal grants he has secured include HOME and CDBG grant programs, SAMHSA, the Economic Development Association, and the Department of Labor. Throughout his career, he has obtained support for a diverse array of programs, such as workforce development, youth education, low-income housing construction, HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment, immigration, substance abuse treatment, parenting education, homelessness prevention/transitional housing, financial literacy, and small business technical assistance and funding. Terry is highly motivated by, and indeed thrives on, diving into new subject matter and fields.
Terry's past work history also includes nearly a decade of compliance and quality work in the private sector, as well as nonprofit program evaluation and strategic planning experience. Terry's work history has provided him a rich knowledge of the Arizona nonprofit, business, and funding landscape, as well as a skillset that enables him to envision social service programs holistically: from securing funding, through implementation, evaluation, compliance, and reporting.
Terry is a two-time Arizona State Sun Devil, earning a Bachelor of Science in Political Science with an International Relations certificate, and a Master's in Public Administration with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration.
Gena Ford
Senior Grants Specialist
Norman, Oklahoma
Gena has been writing and receiving grants for programs she is passionate about since the early 2000's when she was a high school English teacher. In 2016, her enthusiasm for grant writing led her to work in Higher Education as a full-time grant writer. In this capacity, she worked with faculty and staff to develop grant proposals ranging from one thousand to multi-million dollar applications. Gena’s calling is helping people; and although she is not on the front lines, her mission is to assist those who are out in the world doing good things get the funding they need.
Gena received a BA in English at the University of Oklahoma and an MEd in Adult and Higher Education with an Emphasis in English at the University of Central Oklahoma.
Barbara Polston
Senior Grants Specialist
Tucson, Arizona
Barbara Polston brings 24 years of proposal writing experience and joins Kim Joyce & Associates as a Senior Grants Specialist. Despite achieving success with her first grant proposal, Barbara Polston never set out to be a grant professional. A talent for writing and a passion to improve the world led her to a successful career in proposal and contract writing. She has won millions of dollars through foundation, corporation, and government grants and contracts for human services agencies. Now, semi-retired, Barbara is happy to be part of the Kim Joyce & Associates team and contribute to client success. She earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from San Francisco Theological Seminary and a Certificate in Nonprofit Management through the Nonprofit Management Institute of Arizona State University. When not writing proposals, Barbara can be found in her quilt studio or working on a series of children's books.
Thomas Bona
Senior Grants Specialist
Goshen, Indiana
Thomas Bona has more than two decades of experience in research-based writing, including careers in newspaper journalism, public relations, and economic development. He became a grant writer in 2014, when his boss said, “You write well. We need money. Write this grant.” Since then, he has written successful (and unsuccessful but darn good!) grant applications in economic and workforce development, healthcare, public safety, brownfield redevelopment, housing, social services, and other topics. Before joining Kim Joyce & Associates, he spent four years as a grants manager for a health system in Indiana, winning funding to reduce infant mortality, fight food and diaper insecurity, reduce accidental childhood injury, prevent substance abuse, care for sexual assault victims, and keep the lights on at a clinic serving one of the poorest parts of the state.
Thomas is not only experienced in obtaining federal and state grants but has written and helped implement the required workforce and economic development plans needed for regions to get such grants. He also spent 11 years as a local government and transportation reporter, so he geeks out every time an infrastructure bill is passed. Thomas loves learning what exciting and important things his clients and partners are doing and translating their needs into fundable proposals. He also is a data geek who visits Data.Census.Gov for fun.
Tomi Simmons
Grants Specialist
Phoenix, AZ
Kim Thevabalasingham
Grants Specialist
Yorktown, Virginia
Kim Thevabalasingham has 11 years of experience in grant research and writing, grant management, grant reporting, program development, and non-profit management. She has secured and managed over 5 million dollars in state and local grant awards for a local non-profit. She believes the Oxford comma is essential, and Word Crimes is one of her favorite songs. She has also been an active member of the Grant Professionals Association (GPA) since 2016, where she has served in multiple roles. Kim earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Anderson University. She is the mother of two older teenagers, which keeps life interesting, but she is close to emptying the nest. She has lived in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia. The next stop on her Southeast tour is likely Tennessee, but Kim currently resides in Yorktown, VA, where our great nation was born in battle. She loves the gym; her favorite hobbies are traveling and dancing West Coast Swing.
Mandy Rossi
Junior Grant Writer
Canon City, Colorado
Amanda “Mandy” Rossi is a Pennsylvania native but has made Colorado home. She is a 25-year veteran of the U.S. Army and obtained specialties in Human Resource Management, Public Affairs, and Strategic Plans and Policy. Mandy is a combat veteran, experienced at senior levels of the Army to include the Pentagon and NATO, and is also experienced at working across federal, state, and local agencies and governments. After retirement, she spent the next few years volunteering to help rescue horses in Colorado and supporting nonprofits in the field of equine therapies. Mandy is currently a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) with Heart of CASA Colorado in Canon City, Colorado.
Mandy decided after retiring from the Army to pursue a career change in grant writing so that she could bring her myriad of skills to bear to assist organizations doing good work to secure funding for those efforts. To that end, she completed a Masters’ Degree in Grant Writing, Management & Evaluation through Concordia University Chicago in 2021. Mandy also holds a bachelor’s degree in Government and Politics and a master’s degree in Diplomacy/International Relations. When not working or volunteering, you will find Mandy spending time riding and training her two beloved horses: Jess and Louie.
Andrea Forsmo
Junior Grant Writer
Groton, Massachusetts
Andrea brings expertise in the education field, programs that benefit children and adolescents, and making the heart connection between organizations and funders. After several years of volunteering, teaching, and grant writing for a local school system, she made a career change from retail bank management to following her passion. Andrea is experienced in persuasive and effective writing across the grant proposal process, assessing educational impacts and metrics, and prospect research. Andrea is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Lowell (BA, English, Writing Concentration) and earned two fundraising certificates at Arizona State University Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation, Grant Development: State and Foundation Proposals and Advanced Grant Development: Federal Proposals. She is also a member of the Grant Professionals Association.
Noreen Skelton
Junior Grant Writer
Salmon, ID
Noreen is a Montana native but now resides in Salmon, ID and is a proud military veteran. Noreen served in the Air Force for 24 years and specialized in the Human Resource realm of leadership and organizational development. After retirement, she spent five years working as a government consultant where her expertise in organizational development and change management helped many of the Department of Defense intelligence agencies located in Washington D.C. implement vital processes and procedures needed to accomplish organizational mission objectives.
In the spirit of serving her country, Noreen decided on a career change into grant writing where her desire is to help organizations obtain vital funding that allows them to serve and strengthen the fabric of their communities. To prepare for this new career, Noreen achieved a Masters’ Degree in Grants Management & Evaluation through Concordia University Chicago. She is also a member of the Grant Professionals Association Idaho Founding Chapter.
Noreen also holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Organizational Management. She is very active in her community and volunteers at numerous nonprofits and serves on the financial board of the local hospital.
Kaitlyn Cooper
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Mesa, AZ
Kaitlyn Cooper, an Arizona native, specializes in maintaining a professional service that helps keep executives on a path to success. After growing up mainly in Prescott, AZ, she started her path in the medical field. She became a certified nursing assistant, certified caregiver and med tech, and began nursing school. After deciding that was no longer the path she wanted to continue, Kaitlyn began her degree in business. Now, in the Mesa area, she continues her education in business while also utilizing her skills to assist others in achieving an optimal, organized, and flowing office environment. Kaitlyn is excited to bring her experience and join Kim Joyce & Associates as the Executive Assistant to the CEO.