College budget expected to benefit from Bennett
Karissa Rogers
Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: News
Even before Heather Bennett was hired as the executive director of Resource Development, she was doing her research. According to her, the Everett Community College budget has been cut by $3 million in the last two years, and it is estimated that another $1.5 million will be cut this year. Bennett's team be able to make up for the money we lack?
On February 4, Bennett left for Washington D.C. after being on campus a little over two weeks. She was scheduled to meet with legislators and representatives from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities to discuss the needs of EvCC, but due to over 30 inches of snowfall in the D.C. area most of those appointments were canceled.
"I will just have to rely on the fact that it's the 21st century, and [that] we'll be able to make contact via teleconference and video call," Bennett said last Thursday.
EvCC president David Beyer hired Bennett in December.
"After the $12 billion stimulus bill, it became obvious to us that there would be an increased level of external funding available," said Beyer. The stimulus money encouraged him to create a new Resource Development department and find an experienced grant writer and manager to lead EvCC's efforts to claim some of that money.
Bennett is most recently from the Atlanta metro area in Georgia, where she was the director of grants management for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, and also did freelance grant writing for another college.
One million dollars was needed for new equipment last year, but only $26,000 was available to be spent.
"The aviation department would really like an actual airplane to work on," Bennett said of the equipment needs. She is currently working on finding the funds to make that possible.
John Olson, Vice President of College Advancement and Executive Director of the EvCC Foundation has been working with Bennett. "We are looking to do more [fundraising] on the federal level," Olson says, "And I think she brings background and experience in grant writing that will make us more competitive."
Bennett is not worried about the upcoming deadlines for grant applications in March, even with the snowy setbacks. "I have a great team, and I have never missed a deadline," she says. "If we're not in a crunch, then I'm not doing my job."
On February 4, Bennett left for Washington D.C. after being on campus a little over two weeks. She was scheduled to meet with legislators and representatives from organizations such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities to discuss the needs of EvCC, but due to over 30 inches of snowfall in the D.C. area most of those appointments were canceled.
"I will just have to rely on the fact that it's the 21st century, and [that] we'll be able to make contact via teleconference and video call," Bennett said last Thursday.
EvCC president David Beyer hired Bennett in December.
"After the $12 billion stimulus bill, it became obvious to us that there would be an increased level of external funding available," said Beyer. The stimulus money encouraged him to create a new Resource Development department and find an experienced grant writer and manager to lead EvCC's efforts to claim some of that money.
Bennett is most recently from the Atlanta metro area in Georgia, where she was the director of grants management for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, and also did freelance grant writing for another college.
One million dollars was needed for new equipment last year, but only $26,000 was available to be spent.
"The aviation department would really like an actual airplane to work on," Bennett said of the equipment needs. She is currently working on finding the funds to make that possible.
John Olson, Vice President of College Advancement and Executive Director of the EvCC Foundation has been working with Bennett. "We are looking to do more [fundraising] on the federal level," Olson says, "And I think she brings background and experience in grant writing that will make us more competitive."
Bennett is not worried about the upcoming deadlines for grant applications in March, even with the snowy setbacks. "I have a great team, and I have never missed a deadline," she says. "If we're not in a crunch, then I'm not doing my job."
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