Grants Management Training
NCJA provides national level training and technical assistance (TTA), and is dedicated to helping justice agencies develop and implement effective policy, practices and programs. For over a decade, the NCJA has been providing peer-to-peer training to state and local recipients of federal grants and cooperative agreements in the management of federal funds, strategic planning, data-driven practice, and program implementation and evaluation.
NCJA offers grants management, writing, and administration training to meet each agency’s needs including onsite, remote and regional training for state and local agency staff and their subgrantees with curricula tailored to meet the needs of the audience.
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National Criminal Justice Association's Annual Grants Management Training
November 15-16
The virtual training will include presentations from the Department of Justice’s JustGrants team, programmatic updates and a conversation with Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) leadership, and an interactive session about the PMT with the DOJ Performance Management Team as well as a presentation from the Office of Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). Question and answer sessions will be held along with each presentation.
In addition, interactive breakout sessions will allow grant managers to network and share questions and ideas on a variety of topics including tools and processes for administering the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) and American Rescue Plan Act funds, transitioning funding to allow for the implementation of innovative programs, grant writing and submission through the JustGrants system, and prepping for and surviving a federal audit.
Finally, a special closing session will discuss transforming from a public "service" to public "servant" organization in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
When you register, you are invited to submit questions for JustGrants staff, BJA representatives, the PMT team, the OCFO and other SAAs and grant managers that you would like answered over the course of the day. If possible, you are encouraged to submit your questions in advance of the session so that presenters can come prepared to answer them.
The cost of registration is $165 per person.
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Speaker Bios
Tammy Woodhams
Director of Programs and Grants Training, NCJA
Tammy oversees the National Center for Grants Management at NCJA. Ms. Woodhams coordinates federal grants management and administration training to states and has hosted NCJA's National Grant Management Training Day, featuring SAAs and grant managers from around the country as well as trainers from U.S. DOJ BJA and the OCFO at the National Forum on Criminal Justice every year for the past 5 years. She is a certified grant management specialist (CGMS) through the National Grants Management Association (NGMA), and is a certified project management professional (PMP).
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Tammy also works to assist the executive director to promote, coordinate, facilitate, and deliver training and technical assistance designed to enhance justice planning and build capacity of state, local and tribal governments across the nation. Tammy serves as liaison to the national level funders, state and local agency representatives and manages National Criminal Justice Reform Project funded by Arnold Ventures to advance pretrial and reentry reform in four states.
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Tammy previously served for over 25 years in various positions within Kalamazoo County Government including founding executive director for the Kalamazoo Criminal Justice Council (a local justice planning agency) and founding director of the Kalamazoo Office of Community Corrections (in response to Michigan’s Community Corrections Act of 1988). In these positions, she wrote and administered several federal, state and local grant awards. Tammy holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Western Michigan University.
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US DOJ JustGrants Training Session
Rhonda Allen
Training Spc. Instructional System Design
Rhonda has been in education for over 20 years with experience in elementary and middle grades, focusing on science. After completing her undergraduate work at University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she moved to Northern Utah. Following her move, she helped build a successful Spanish Immersion charter school, earned her Master’s degree in Instructional Design from Utah State University, and completed a yearlong fellowship with Northrop Grumman. She transitioned to Instructional Design in 2019 and began designing courseware at Hill Air Force Base. She is honored to continue her new career path in Adult Education and online curriculum and instruction. In her spare time, she is a Vanlifer which enables her to fulfill her cravings for hiking, paddleboarding, skiing, and pretty much anything outdoors.
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Maria Swineford
Deputy Director, Business Manager for JustGrants
Maria serves as the Deputy Director of Grants Management Division with the Office of Audit, Assessment, and Management of the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice.She serves as program lead for organization-wide business innovation and transformation effort and is skilled in organizational and project analytics, project administration, change management, and public speaking. She is strong federal and management professional with a Bachelor of Science focused in Administration of Justice from George Mason University.
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Chakia Murphy
Director, Policy and Planning Division
Ms. Murphy serves as an information technology manager at OJP since 2016. She previously served as an Supervisory IT Specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau.
BJA Programmatic Update and Dialogue with Kristen Mahoney
Kristen Mahoney
Acting Director, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Ms. Kristen Mahoney provides oversight for all grants management activities within BJA, including application review, award processing, liaison with grantees, performance measurement and programmatic grant monitoring. She also oversees the development and execution of all formula grants and payment programs within BJA, including OJP's flagship program, the Justice Assistance Grant (JAG). Prior to her appointment, Kristen served as the Deputy Director for BJA’s Policy Office. In this role, Kristen directed the creation of criminal justice policies that assist state, local, and tribal communities to prevent or reduce crime and violence. She also provided national leadership and outreach on criminal justice issues by identifying and supporting evidence-based programs, best practices, and innovative approaches to key issues. In 2016 she was recognized for her work developing and implementing the Violence Reduction Network (now the National Public Safety Partnership) and was awarded the Presidential Rank Award of Meritorious Executive. This is the second-highest annual award given to selected career SES members. From 2006-2012, Kristen served the Executive Director of the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention for the State of Maryland. Ms. Mahoney came to state government after serving as the Chief of Technical Services for the Baltimore Police Department and the Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice for the City of Baltimore. Ms. Mahoney received her B.A. from Sweet Briar College and her J.D. from the University of Baltimore. She is a member of the Maryland Bar and has practiced law with the Legal Aid Bureau of Maryland, specializing in the representation of abused and neglected children. She is a past President of the National Criminal Justice Association.
Brenda Worthington
Associate Deputy Director, Programs Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Ms. Brenda Worthington and has been part of the BJA team for 10 years. In her current role, she leads a team of Division Chiefs that oversee high profile agency projects such as the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program, Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulants, and other Substance Abuse Program, Project Safe Neighborhoods, Patrick Leahy Bulletproof Vest Partnership, Operation Legend, State Criminal Alien Assistance Program, forensic capacity enhancement programs, and other law enforcement related grant programs. Prior to taking on the Associate Deputy Director role, she was worked within the BJA Programs Office as a State Policy Advisor and eventually a Division Chief where she focused on the corrections related initiates such as the Second Chance Act and the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Prior to joining BJA, Ms. Worthington worked at the National Institute of Justice on both the President’s DNA Initiative and the Attorney General’s Body Armor Safety Initiative. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Miami and a Master of Science in Justice, Law and Society from American University.
Tarasa Napolitano
State Policy Adviser, Programs Office, Bureau of Justice Assistance
Ms. Tarasa Napolitano is the co-lead for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program, the co-lead for the Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding program, oversees the administration of JAG awards in the state of Florida and is the program manager for the Justice For All: Effective Administration of Criminal Justice Training and Technical Assistance Program. Tarasa has also served as the program manager for programs such as the Justice Information Sharing initiative, Project Safe Neighborhood, Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, the Emergency Federal Law Enforcement Assistance program, the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative , the Reducing Injury and Death of Missing Individuals with Dementia and Developmental Disabilities Program and the Rural Law Enforcement Program. Tarasa holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Florida State University.
Breakouts: Effective Solutions for Managing Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding (CESF) and American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding
Kellie Rabenhorst
VOCA Victim Assistance Senior Program Manager, NCJA
Kellie Rabenhorst is a Senior Program Manager at the OVC Center for VOCA Administrators (VOCA Center) and serves as the TTA lead for VOCA Victim Assistance State Administrating Agencies (SAAs). Ms. Rabenhorst coordinates virtual and onsite peer-to-peer training and technical assistance to states and territories to create a strong support system, broaden victim services to historically underserved populations and advance promising policies and practices in federal grants administration. She serves as an integral member of the NCJA team and also collaborates with external partners including the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA), and other national partners and TTA providers to address pressing victim assistance program needs and provide meaningful support to all SAAs.
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Prior to joining NCJA, Kellie was the Federal Grants and Programs Director, and the Office of Violence Prevention Director at the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice where she had oversight over multiple grant programs from the U.S. Department of Justice, including VOCA and the Byrne Justice Assistance Grant program, as well as a state grant to reduce gang violence. She has worked in human services for over twenty years providing direct services to diverse populations in both rural and urban communities specializing in civil rights, juvenile justice, child welfare, mental health, substance use and homeless issues.
Kellie has served on the Board of Directors for the National Criminal Justice Association and as the 2nd Vice President for NAVAA.
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She has her bachelor’s degree in Business Management and Master of Public Administration degree from Bellevue University. She is certified in Lean Six Sigma.
Breakout: Transitioning Funding to Support Innovative Programs
Anthony Vidale
Deputy Director, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission
Anthony Vidale is the Deputy Director for the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission. Under the general direction or absence of the Executive Director, he serves the entire agency with essential operational functions including business and financial services, human resource management, information technology services, internal and external audits, and facilities management. Anthony oversees the Drug, Gang, and Violent Crime Control program for ACJC, managing a multi-million dollar grant program focused
on Arizona’s drug, gang, and violent crime problem. He manages program funding through the federal Byrne Justice Assistance Grant and the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Grant, in addition to several state funds. Anthony also served as the Victim Services program manager for the Criminal Justice Commission, overseeing two statewide crime victim programs. Before working for the Criminal Justice Commission, Anthony worked for the Arizona Joint Legislative Budget Committee as a senior fiscal analyst, with a primary area of concentration on criminal justice agencies and capital budgeting. He has served on several boards, commissions and committees most notably the Chandler Domestic Violence Commission, the Committee for Victims in the Courts, as a board member of the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards, and the Governor’s Meth Task Force. Anthony served as a regional representative on the National Criminal Justice Association Advisory Council since 2016 and has been elected to the Board of Directors since 2017, where he currently serves on the Finance Committee. Anthony is a faculty associate at Arizona State University, the University of Phoenix, and Northern Arizona University teaching courses in criminal justice and public administration, and retired from the Air National Guard after 22 years of service. Anthony holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix and a Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati.
Breakout: Prepping for and Surviving Virtual Federal Audits
Suzanne Breedlove
VOCA Victim Compensation Senior Program Manager, NCJA
Suzanne coordinates and delivers virtual and onsite peer-to-peer training and technical assistance to states and territories through the OVC Center for VOCA Administrators. She serves as an integral member of the NCJA team and also collaborates with external partners including the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Board (NACVCB) and other national partners and TTA providers to address pressing victim compensation program needs and provide meaningful support to all SAAs.
Suzanne has more than 36 years of experience in victim services. For most of her career, she held the position of Director of Victims Services for the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council where she administered the state’s Crime Victims Compensation Program, Sexual Assault Examination Fund, and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Assistance and Compensation grants.
Nationally, she has served on the Board of Directors for both the NACVCB and the National Association of Victims Assistance Administrators (NAVAA). Suzanne has a long history of working with communities experiencing mass violence. She assisted NACVCB in drafting the first ever Mass Casualty Protocol Manual for Victims Compensation Programs and also assisted OVC, with portions of The Oklahoma City Bombing After Action Report and the 9/11 After Action Report.
Throughout her career, Suzanne has served as a mentor for state compensation and assistance administrators on compensation program issues and grants management for VOCA administrators. Her life’s work has been to improve the lives of crime victims and provide guidance to those who serve them.
Suzanne has a proven history of drafting successful state legislative proposals to improve crime victim compensation benefits and services and she holds a business degree from the Western International University.
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Breakout: Grant Writing and Submission.
Valarie Tickle
Senior Criminal Justice Planning & Grant Coordinator, Delaware Criminal Justice Council
Ms. Tickle has been with the Council for twenty-two years. She is a subject matter expert on criminal justice grant writing and has submitted numerous successful competitive grant applications totaling almost 20 million dollars. Ms. Tickle is the Coordinator for various criminal justice grants and projects including the Adult and Juvenile Second Chance Act reentry funds, Comprehensive Opioid Substance Abuse Program, Justice Reinvestment Initiative, Adult Drug Court Enhancement, Prison Rape Elimination Act, Project Safe Neighborhoods, Adam Walsh Implementation, Harold Rodgers Prescription Drug Monitoring program, MacArthur Foundation Safety and Justice Challenge Innovation Funds and the National Criminal Justice Reform Project. She is a grant writing instructor and has presented nationally and locally to hundreds of attendees. She is a member of Delaware's National Criminal Justice Reform Project core team working on reentry reform and the Lt. Governor's Behavioral Health Consortium. Ms. Tickle received a B.S. from the University of Delaware in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology.
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All Things PMT
Jimmy Steyee
Deputy Task Lead, Bureau of Justice Assistance Planning, Performance, and Impact Team
James Steyee (Jimmy), MAS, PMP, serves as the Deputy Task Lead overseeing data analysis and research for the Performance Management Project’s task order with the Office of Justice Programs’ (OJP) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). Has been advising the OJP on performance measurement for over 9 years, where he has held multiple positions including Project Manager, Deputy Project Manager, and Senior Research Associate. Jimmy brings nearly 15 years of experience in the criminal justice field conducting criminal justice research and data collection specializing in law enforcement crime data, performance measurement and management, and data analysis. Previously to working for Carnevale Associates, Mr. Steyee worked for the Montana Board of Crime Control as the Director of the Statistical Analysis Center and Statistician where he oversaw the Montana Incident Based Reporting System as well as authored, contributed to, and oversaw several reports related to crime, victimization, and juvenile justice. Mr. Steyee received his BS in Sociology from Montana State University and MAS in Criminology, Law and Society from University of California, Irvine.
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Christina Mariscal
Deputy Task Lead, Bureau of Justice Assistance Planning, Performance, and Impact Team
Christina Mariscal, MPS, PMP, serves as the Deputy Task Lead overseeing the Help Desk and TTA for the Performance Management Project’s task order with OJP/BJA. She has 15 years of experience working in the OJP space in the areas of program development, project management, training and resource design, and stakeholder engagement. Ms. Mariscal previously served as the Deputy Project Director for BJA’s National Training and Technical Assistance Center. She also worked in various capacities for the International Association of Chiefs of Police for nearly 10 years. Ms. Mariscal received her BA in Political Science from LeMoyne College and MPS in Criminal Justice Leadership from St. John’s University.
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Tori Goldberg
Senior Research Associate/Lead Analyst, Bureau of Justice Assistance Planning, Performance, and Impact Team
Tori Goldberg is a Senior Research Associate for the Performance Management Project’s task order with OJP/BJA. In this role, she works on the JAG, corrections, and reentry portfolios. Ms. Goldberg brings substantial research and analysis experience to her position, including quantitative and qualitative analysis and data visualizations. She has been engaged in criminal justice research for the past 10 years.
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Matt Wade
Program Manager, NCJA
Matt serves as a Project Manager with a specific focus in performance management, training and strategic planning. Matt works to assist state administering agencies, local criminal justice advisory boards and councils in the development of comprehensive strategic plans and the implementation of evidence-based programs and practices.
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Matt brings nearly 20 years’ experience working with government entities from a variety of US states and jurisdictions, spending the majority of his career working in government in the Commonwealth of Virginia with both the Department of Social Services (VDSS) and the Department of Veterans Services (VDVS). In those roles Matt held many titles, most notably the Manager of the Office of Program Accountability at VDSS and Regional Director of the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program at DVS. Additionally, he has worked with the National Council on Crime and Delinquency where he served as client relations manager for SafeMeasures, a web-based performance management tool, overseeing contract administration and client relations for more than 60 jurisdictions serving both child welfare and juvenile justice populations.
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Matt is a proud graduate of Virginia Tech where he earned both a Bachelor of the Arts degree in political science, and a Master's Degree in Public Administration.
Time with the Office of Chief Financial Officer
Michael Williams
Staff Accountant/ Trainer, Office of Justice Programs, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Grants Financial Management Division
Michael Williams is a Staff Accountant/Trainer at the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO), Grants Financial Management Division (GFMD). Mr. Williams assist the branch manager in the Financial Service Branch II (Oversight and Evaluation) which is responsible for reviewing applications for funding, reviewing conference cost submission, conducting site visits, hosting Financial Training Seminars, create and conduct specialized/ad-hoc training, write policy and procedures to be utilized by both OJP staff and grantees, and updates the OJP’s Financial Guide. In addition, Mr. Williams serves as a facilitator for the OJP Financial Management Training Seminars which are hosted in Washington, D.C. for OJP’s grant recipients.
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Grant Managers as Public Servant Leaders
Michelle Garcia
Director, Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants, District of Columbia Government, Executive Office of the Mayor
Michelle M. Garcia was appointed Director of the District of Columbia Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants (OVSJG) in December 2015. As Director, Ms. Garcia provides leadership and coordination of District funded programs that serve crime victims, prevent crime, and improve the administration of justice for victims and offenders. OVSJG also provides policy making expertise, advice, and counsel to the Executive on evidence-based practices that respond to, intervene in, and prevent violence.
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Prior to her appointment, Ms. Garcia worked with the Stalking Resource Center of the National Center for Victims of Crime for nearly a decade, serving as the Director for over nine years. She previously served as a Program Specialist with the US Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime and has over twenty years of experience working on the local, state, and national level in the movements to end stalking, sexual assault, and domestic and dating violence. Michelle has trained internationally on these issues and has published numerous articles on stalking. Michelle received her Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Chicago.
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Contact Us
For further information, please contact Tammy Woodhams, Director of Programs and Grants Training at twoodhams@ncja.org.