Speakers Profile

Alexis Smith-Schallenberger
Director of Development
Communities In Schools of Arizona
Director of Development/Grant Writer Communities In Schools of Arizona  Phoenix, Arizona 2002 – 2008
Responsible for driving fund development strategies, granting writing and cultivating donor, government and corporate sponsor relations. Manage portfolio of public and private foundation grants for building capacity in schools through a community-based integrated student services intervention strategy.  Research and cultivate foundations, identify funding opportunities for new programs, research current trends, and resources in community school program development. Develop and execute strategic external and internal communication/marketing plans, including web site and publication design, high- visibility special events, regular contacts with media.

Public Relations Writer/Grant Writer Deer Valley Unified School District  Phoenix, Arizona 2005 –2008
Manage a $3.3M portfolio in federal, state and local funding for a PreK-12 school district. Responsible for proposal planning, procedural policies and overall management of the grant seeking effort, including, research, identification, solicitation, cultivation, proposal writing and budgets, overseeing of reporting requirements, and stewardship of existing partnerships. Established policies and procedures in the management of grants and developed a long-range grants procurement plan. Conduct Grant Writing workshops for teachers and volunteers. Research and report on trends and resources in education and youth development. Responsible for publication (design, text, editing) of District Annual Report, Special Reports to the Community, Annual Awards and Achievement Report, and monthly employee newsletter plus press releases, award nominations, and business partner marketing materials.

Project Manager    Arizona State PTA/PTSA   Phoenix, Arizona 2003 –2006
Directed and implemented Arizona Department of Education funded Parent Involvement and Building Successful Partnership programs. Arranged facilitations, panel discussions, lectures, and interactive programs for 27 statewide sites. Responsible for research, development and implementation of experiential programs for parents on sensitive issues (i.e. HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Infection, Bullying, Self-Inflected Injury) communication with children and youth. Implemented strategies for renewing and expanding existing funding base and explore new sources of program support. Arranged and presented talks and workshops on the National PTA Building Successful Partnership program to government, foundation, and corporate entities.

Grants Manager    Southwest Center for HIV   Phoenix, Arizona 2002 – 2005
Managed a portfolio of $4M in foundation and corporate grants for an HIV/AIDS research and resource center. Established policies and procedures in the management of grants and developed a long-range grants procurement plan.  Researched and cultivated new foundation and corporate prospects, maintained existing relationships, managed donor-advised gifts, wrote grant proposals (funding range from $5,000 to $1,000,000) and reports, and created budgets.

Aneesah Nadir
CEO
Dr. Aneesah Nadir & Associates

Cheryl Weiner
Founder