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Annual Grants Training


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2025 NGMA Annual Grants Training

March 12-14, 2025 | Washington, D.C.

Annual Grants Training (AGT) is a three-day, in-person event ideal for grants management professionals at all career levels. It is the largest grants management-focused training event in the nation. Event agenda includes keynote speakers, plenary panels, 50+ breakout sessions, expo hall with NGMA CAPP partners and more.

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

Registration fees include entry into education sessions, expo hall, receptions and meals (breakfast and lunch on Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14).

RATES (through February 19)

$1,069 per person (Members) | $1,243 per person (Non-Members)* 

LATE REGISTRATION (February 20 - March 5)
$1,099 per person (Members) | $1,273 per person (Non-Members)*

* Non-member registration fee includes complimentary 1-year individual NGMA membership.

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR LARGE GROUPS:

10+ employees from same organization: $50 discount/person
20+ employees from same organization: $100 discount/person

Qualifying employees must be part of the same NGMA group membership and be billed together under one invoice. Contact us at [email protected] to learn more.

 

IMPORTANT NOTE: All registrants must pay in full or provide proof* that payment is in process by Wednesday, February 19. No exceptions. Unpaid registrations that don’t meet either of these requirements by February 19 risk registration cancellation.

* Accepted proof includes: Purchase order, copy of a check or promissory note on organization/agency letterhead.

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2025 AGENDA
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Breakout Sessions
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
Time Breakout Session Speakers Course Level
10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Auditor vs. Entity - Round 1 Single Audit Readiness from Two Perspectives
 Kathleen Kizior
and Zach LeMorta,
Cherry Bekaert		 Intermediate
 
 Building a Career in Grants:
What You Need to Know		 Mara Ash, BFS
Strategic Partners		 Basic
  Clearing the Clutter: How Emerging Technologies (ML/AI) are Transforming Grants Jay Black, HHS/GrantSolutions, Andrea Brandon, Budget, Finance, Grants and Acquisitions (BFGA), Kimberly Gooding, U.S. Dept of Housing and Urban Development, and Stacy Valenti, Veterans Benefits Administration Central Office Intermediate
  Tactics for Using and Documenting Federal Policy & Performance-Based Funding Jeffrey Thomas and Thomas Staton, KPMG LLP, Gina Salazar-Love and Stacey Alles, Colorado Dept of Personnel and Administration Update
  Uniform Guidance Revisions Adopted - Now the Real Work Begins Jennifer Keller and Troy Rector, Clark Nuber, PS Update
3:15 - 4:15 p.m. Broadband Expansion Grants: Building Digital Equity and Managing Complex Programs Angie Brown and Jane Clark, EisnerAmper Intermediate
  FEMA: Updates to the Federal Procurement Rules & Buy America Requirements Pedro Hernandez Jr. and Brian Wagner, FEMA Basic
  Indirect What? A Beginner's
Guide to Indirect Costs		 Johna Rodgers, Partners for Rural Impact Basic
  Preparing for Success in Pre-Award David Clark, BDO USA Basic
  Solo & Small Team Success: Grants Management Strategies that Work Patrick Swinick and Tim Cutler, BerryDunn Intermediate
  Strengthening Fraud Prevention: Key Lessons from COVID-19 Grants Programs Irene Pasterna, Guidehouse, Sarah Sequeira, HUD OIG, and Ken Dieffenbach, Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Intermediate
4:15 - 5:15 p.m. Ethical Challenges in Grants Management: Updates, Risks, and Opportunities Brian Kamoie and Kelley Grow, Deloitte Basic
  Leveraging Analytics and Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Grants Impact Amy Jones, Ernst & Young Basic
  Noncompliance: Now What? Bonnie Graham and Madelaine Cleghorn, The Bruman Group, PLLC Basic
  ARPA/SLFRF Innovation: Local Government Successes and How We Did It   Basic
  Mastering Procurement Fraud Prevention: Practical Strategies for Nonprofits
(Yes, You Can!)		 Rebecca Silva and Ivan Gonzalez, Falcon Sanchez & Associates, PSC Basic
  Leading Diverse Grants Management Teams through Periods of Significant Change   Advanced
Thursday, March 13, 2025
Time Breakout Session Speakers Course Level
9:45 - 10:45 a.m. Audit Findings: Friend or Foe?
You'd Be Surprised!		 Crystal Wolf, Akela, LLC and Brette Fishman, U.S. Dept of Education Intermediate
  Beginning With the End in Mind: Program Design Documents and Best Practices Zein Jivani and Joseph Simon, Deloitte Intermediate
  COFFA: New Partnership for Accountability and Transparency in Federal Financial Assistance   Overview
  Mixology: Combining the Right Professionals to Provide Administrative Grants Oversight Nicole Turner and Jeannie Sutton, Lee County, Florida Overview
  The Shocking Reality of Infrastructure
Grants Funding		 Michelle Little, Witt O'Brien's and Phillip A. Escoriaza, Feldesman Leifer LLP Overview
  You Do It All!? A Practical Guide to Developing and Managing a Solo
Grants Management System		   Basic
1:30 - 2:30 p.m. Designing an Effective Subrecipient Monitoring Framework: Lessons Learned from Compliance Failures Stacie Massey, State of Ohio Office of Budget and Management Intermediate
  Don't Be the Next Headline: Buying Into Procurement Internal Controls Tiffany Kesslar, The Bruman Group, PLLC and Lashon Brown, Valencia College Intermediate
  Grants Data Standards: Recent Progress and the Road Ahead Ross Williford, HHS Basic
  Modified Total Direct Costs (MTDC) Explained Carla Crowe, Crowe LLP Basic
  Using Compression Planning to Maximize a Small Grants Management Team Jillain Veil-Ehnert, Concordia College Basic
2:45 - 3:45 p.m. From Paper to Practice: Animated Case Studies of Procurement and Equipment Policies Loreana Gonzalez-Lazzarini and Alejandro Camporreale, Ad Astra Solutions LLC Intermediate
  Grant Oversight: A Fresh Perspective on Risk, Process, and People C.A. Cruthird and Tikera Chisley, Dallas College Update
  Internal Controls: Your Blueprint to Maintaining Accountability of Federal Grants Rachel Werner, MyFedTrainer Basic
  Leveraging Indirect Cost for Maximum Return Nicolie Cass Lettini, Aptemiz, Inc. and Karen W. Carter, City of Atlanta Intermediate
  The Art of Spinning Plates: Solo and Small Teams Grants Management Whitney Gentry, City of Huntsville, Alabama Basic
  Where Is Your Hall Pass? Strategies for Subrecipient Monitoring Glenn McCormick, Tim Thorson, Thorson Grants LC Basic
4:15 - 5:15 p.m. Better to Ask for Permission,
NOT Forgiveness!		 Tonia Brown-Kinzel, The Grant Plant, Inc. Intermediate
  Bridging the GAAP in Grant Accounting Practices: Systems, the GL, & UG Compliance Jennifer Keller and Shareen Corlett, Clark Nuber Basic
  It's All About That Base Meghan Benson, U.S. National Science Foundation, Andre Hylton, U.S. Dept of Education, Mark Stout, U.S. Dept of the Interior, Steven Zuraf, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services Intermediate
  It's Not Risky Business: Streamlining Risk Management in the Grants Process Sarah Mostyn, HHS/GrantSolutions, Scott Moore, OASH Intermediate
  Successful Field Monitoring for Federal Broadband Grants Nicolas Koniski and Jason Lorentz, KPMG LLP, Alison Terry, Broadband Office, State of Colorado Basic
  The Little Golden Book: Conveying Grants Management & Compliance Guidelines to Diverse Stakeholders Jacqui May and Patrick Ballinger, Independent Consultants Basic
Friday, March 14, 2025
Time Breakout Session  Speakers Course Level
9:15 - 10:15 a.m. Beware of Ethical Minefields: Conflicts of Interest Rules in Federal Grants Management
 Edward T. Waters and Phillip A. Escoriaza, Feldesman Leifer LLP Intermediate
  Building Resilience in Grants Management Rob Hogan, DRS Overview
  Customer Perspective Panel:
Grants Shared Services		 Andrea Sampanis, QSMO HHS, John Miklozek, HHS, and Laura Sullivan, State of Rhode Island Basic
  Leveraging Customer Experience (CX) to Transform the Applicant Journey   Advanced
  Mastering BEAD Grant Compliance: Navigating Federal Regulations and Audit Readiness Ashley Swain, Lindsey Howard, and Kyle Skene, HORNE LLP Overview
  TBD    
10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Behind the Scenes - Practical Insights Into the FEMA Process & Disaster Recovery Vicky Cooper and Christine Sebastian, Lee County Utilities Basic
  Navigating Compliance and Transparency of the SF-425 Molly Moss, Crowe LLP Basic
  Navigating SLFRF Reporting and Closeout: Best Practices and Pitfalls to Avoid Brandon Tanous and Jenn Garrett, Weaver Basic
  Shortcomings in Grants Management: Who Is Managing the Grants Managers? Matthew Gever, Chavon Wilkerson, and Amanda Adkins, U.S. Dept of Justice, Office of Justice Programs Basic
  State Panel: Approaches to
Statewide GMS Implementation		 Lori Beeler, GATU, Governor's Office of Management and Budget, Amy Edmondson, State of Idaho, State Controller's Office, Jamdan Clang, Nebraska Dept of Economic Development, Casey Foster, Nebraska Dept of Agriculture, and Jillian Neimeister, Amplifund Intermediate
  TBD    
1:00 - 2:00 p.m. Building an Effective Grant Application Assistance Workshop for Grantees David Downey and Sandra Toro, U.S. Dept of Education Basic
  Getting Up to Speed: What Your Colleagues Need to Know About Grants Management Joseph O'Keefe, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research Intermediate
  How to Finance Integrated Data Systems and Evaluation in the Public Sector Kathy Stack, Pari Sabety, and Robert McGough, U.S. Digital Response Update
  OIG Audits, Findings and What to Do Each Step of the Way Catherine Gilpin, FORVIS and Edward T. Waters, Feldesman Leifer LLP Intermediate
2:15 - 3:15 p.m. Funding with Purpose: Strategies for Effective Subrecipient Support Erin Ingram, Michael Miranda-Moore, and Megan Otto, Moss Adams, LLP Basic
  Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in Grants: Tools for Detection and Mitigation Brandon Tanous and Jenn Garrett, Weaver Basic
  Strategic Grant Funding Capture Management Timothy Cutler and Patrick Swinick, BerryDunn Intermediate
  Strategies for Scaling Up a Grants Office Without Burning Out: A "Fireside Chat" Taylor Collins, Tennessee Dept of Economic and Community Development, Jeni Brinkman and Edwige Stephen, Accenture Intermediate
  We Have the Grant, Now What?  A Toolbox for Grant Intake and Audit Preparation Carla McMullen, Wake Technical Community College Basic
  What Happens When Big Money Comes to Small Teams Chrisanne Christensen, Houston Advanced Research Center Basic
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Attendees may earn up to 18 CPE credits. 
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HOTEL INFORMATION

Annual Grants Training is held at:

Washington Hilton
1919 Connecticut Ave. NW | Washington, D.C. 20009

The Washington Hilton is located within blocks of Dupont Circle and Adams Morgan. It is six (6) miles from Reagan National Airport and within walking distance of the DC Metro subway system. About the hotel 

RESERVATIONS

Attendees are responsible for booking their own hotel rooms. NGMA's room block at the Washington Hilton is SOLD OUT. 

Overflow room block accommodations:

  • NGMA has a limited room block available at the Churchill Hotel, located across the street from the Washington Hilton. Churchill Reservation Link

  • NGMA has a limited room block available at the Normandy Hotel, located 0.2 miles from the Washington Hilton. Normandy Hotel Reservation Link
About NGMA room blocks: NGMA's room blocks are negotiated rates with the hotel that are generally lower than those advertised on the main hotel website. Please book your room through NGMA's reservation links to ensure you receive our negotiated rate. 

Note: The Churchill Hotel and Normandy Hotel are the only locations at which NGMA has overflow room blocks. 

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Who Should Attend
  
Grants professionals, including Grants Specialists, Administrators, Managers, Program Officers, Grant Officers, Auditors

  
Program Level
   Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced
  
Delivery Method   Group Live
  

Cancellations, Transfers & Additional Information
  

Cancellations

All AGT registration cancellation requests must be submitted by the registrant by email to [email protected]. NGMA will not accept requests by an employer.

  • Cancellations received by midnight ET, Friday, February 19, 2025, will be eligible for a full refund minus a $50 service fee.

  • After February 19, 2025, no refunds or credits will be issued.

  • No credits or refunds will be given to no-shows.

  • Cancellations made due to unforeseen circumstances that fall outside of the cancellation policy dates: Proof/documentation backing up the reason for cancellation must be submitted with the cancellation via email to [email protected]. NGMA’s Executive Director will review the request and provide a final decision within 30 days of the event’s conclusion.

  • No credits will be given in lieu of refunds. Refunds by check may not be issued until the conclusion of the event.


Notice of cancellation or substitution to NGMA does not include hotel accommodations. Please contact the hotel directly to change or cancel reservations.

Substitutions/Transfers

Requests for transfers/substitutions must be made in writing directly by the registrants; NGMA will not accept requests by an employer. The below transfer/substitution policy applies:

By midnight ET, February 19, 2025 – Transfers/substitutions may be made at no cost; should a non-member substitute for a member, the difference between fees will be due at the time of transfer.

After February 19, 2025 – Transfers/substitutions will incur a $50 service fee.

  

Technology Consent		  
Registration, attendance at, or participation in any NGMA-sponsored activity constitutes an agreement by the registrant to the use and distribution (both now and in the future) of the registrant or participant’s image or voice in photographs, videotapes, electronic reproductions and audiotapes of such activities by NGMA and other third parties, including but not limited to the event app or other software utilized. Your registration may include technology that monitors your activities, such as session attendance, public chats, Q&A during sessions, and booths visited.

  

Data and
Usage Disclosure		  
By registering for Annual Grants Training, you agree to allow your data to be collected by NGMA and be transferred securely to and stored by third-party technology providers and/or event partners, including but not limited to meeting app providers (Personify and Conference I/O), payment processors (Payscape), the host hotel (Washington Hilton), and CAPP partners.

The purpose is for the fulfillment of the service(s) related to event registration and attendance; these may include but are not limited to processing payments, confirming hotel reservations/rooming needs, tracking session attendance and continuing professional education (CPE) credits. Additionally, NGMA CAPP partners may rent attendee data for marketing purposes under a single-use agreement.

All third-party providers and/or event partners have their own privacy and collection practices; NGMA is not responsible for their independent policies.

If you wish to opt out of any data collection regarding your Annual Grants Training registration, email [email protected].


  
Communicable
Disease Policy		   All attendees agree to adhere to the NGMA’s Duty of Care, Waiver and Release of Liability for Communicable Disease.  

Code of Conduct

  
All attendees agree to adhere to NGMA’s In-Person Meeting Code of Conduct.		  

 

 
 


National Grants Management Association is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State Boards of Accountancy have the final authority on the acceptance of individual course for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.