Karen Wainscott, the founder and lead consultant, is the driving force behind Community Centric Development. She is development professional who began her career in large-scale concert promotion in Richmond, Virginia. She completed her B.A.s in Political Science and International Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, where she went on to complete a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Nonprofit Management as well. Karen has worked for businesses and organizations across all sectors specializing in fund development, grant-writing/management, sales, marketing, communications, and strategic planning. Karen is passionate about supporting communities and organizations in accessing grant funding to advance strategic economic and community development goals. Recently, she served as the Economic Development Administration (EDA) Program Manager with the Rural Opportunity Office within the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), where she provides project management for two EDA strategic planning grants and the Rural Technical Assistance Program (RTAP). She has completed many federal grant application packages, including those to SAMHSA, BJA, USDA, USDOE, USDOT, and those related to ARPA/CARES Act funding. She is a Certified Grants Management Specialist (CGMS) for federal funding, and an active National Grants Management Association (NGMA) member.