MELINDA BARNES-COLLINS

614-***-**** acx9bq@r.postjobfree.com

Melinda has fifteen years administrative leadership experience advocating for disadvantaged,

underrepresented populations by leading for profit and non-profit organizational program development,

sustainable progression, and transparent collaborations. Qualitative strength lies in her consensus driven

approach to high-level grant coordination, organizational development, quality improvement, and

compliance while engaging the broad relationships of upper management, key stakeholders, and vendors. An

established thought leader, Melinda continually innovates fresh approaches to leveraging funds, building

capacities, and enabling populations by way of participatory action. Proven areas of expertise include:

Partnership facilitation that emphasizes balancing, negotiating, and engaging audiences of varying interests

in business mission

Implementing compliance and corrective strategies to maintain licensure and funding contractual

expectations

Extensive knowledge of nonprofit funding streams and recourse access generation

Leveraging both quantitative and qualitative metrics to assess, evaluate, and provide program reports

Federal, state, and local grant writing and fundraising processes

Written/Oral communication abilities that impact boards and advisory councils

Establishing and enhancing a high-output, financially responsible, and mission-driven culture

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Nurturing Network, LLC. December

2015- Present

Independent business owner that works to assist small businesses sustain or grow services. Grant

writer/Business Owner, Melinda Barnes-Collins supports all phases of capacity building: Grant Research,

Grant Writing, Grant Evaluation, Technical Assistance, and Strategic Planning.

Hands On Central Ohio, June 2013- October 2016

Franklin County Department of Job and Family Services October 2016 to December 2016

EEO Program Coordinator September 2014

December 2015

Ohio Department of Transportation

Small & Disadvantaged Business Enterprise

Ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of DOT-assisted contracts; Help remove barriers

to the participation of DBEs in DOT-assisted contracts; and Assist the development of firms that can

compete successfully in the marketplace

Provides training &/or technical assistance to Central Office/District personnel

Acts as ombudsman for DBE Services program, promotes certification, prequalification of DBE,

recommends relationships with funding sources for small businesses

Makes recommendation to prime contractors as to DBE that are ready, willing, and able to provide

services.

Schedules & conducts one-on-one meetings with certified, newly-certified & prospective DBE firms to

promote available services (e.g. technical training & tuition reimbursement programs, formal education

courses, one-on-one consultant services, mentor-protg program)

Discuss eligibility for prequalification to bid on highway construction & local public agency projects &

highway construction project bidding opportunities.

Assist district Job & Progress teams in recruitment of DBE firms.

Establishes guidelines & timeframes for analysis of DBE programs outreach procedures & operations in

order to assess Departments ability to meet established DBE goals.

Coordinates goal-setting committee meetings

Review Good Faith Efforts of prime contractors.

Coordinates Mentor/Protg Program.

Ensures quarterly reports are completed in timely manner.

Ensures Ohio Contractors Association (OCA) & American Counsel of Engineering Companies (ACEC)

stay abreast of progress of participating firms.

Notable Accomplishments:

Facilitator of DBE/EDGE goal setting process for State of Ohio

Prepared Statement of Work for OJT/SS and DBE funding request

Co-facilitated DBE Outreach public hearing and town hall meetings

Director of Veterans & Families FIRST Program August 2013

February 2014

Volunteers of America of Greater Ohio Columbus, Ohio

National, faith-based non-profit organization providing human services programs, including housing

and healthcare.

Procured and managed an annual program budget of $1.25 million awarded by the U.S. Department of

Veteran Affairs

Provided strategic support to executive leadership and management on regulatory, federal, and state laws

related to veteran programs

Coordinated with Veterans Service Commission to provide training to veteran service staff on seamless

impactful action and service delivery

Hosted and facilitated meetings between Franklin County, local veterans medical center, local veteran

service organizations, and Ohio grant recipients

Notable Accomplishments:

Successfully collaborated with Community Shelter Board to build a data reporting system

relevant to federal program outcomes that allowed for accurate contribution of internal reports to

a federal repository

Received positive quality improvement and monitoring visit review from U.S. Department of

Veteran Affairs

Implemented staff training that supported well-rounded introduction to organizational onboarding

and targeted, program-specific development

Shelter Services Manager June 2009 February 2013

CHOICES Columbus, Ohio

Local nonprofit committed to interrupting the cycle of domestic violence through services including 24-hour

crisis and information line, temporary shelter, counseling and support groups, legal and community

advocacy, and education and training.

Increased program efficiency, accuracy, and access to real-time information by implementing a client data

online tracking tool and automating daily stats reporting system to gather information necessary for grant

reporting

Championed fundraising success by coordinating grant procurement, individual donations, planned giving,

corporate sponsorship, and special events

Produced Workplace Violence Procedures, recreated CHOICES Emergency Disaster Preparedness Planning

Procedures, and participated in United Way Cooperative Planning Initiative

Implemented volunteer recruitment and retention initiative that led to lasting community engagement efforts

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Produced trust-building internal and external reports on the outcomes of the organization to key stakeholders,

including United Way and the Attorney General

Notable Accomplishments:

Appointed to position by Executive Director and Board of Directors vote

Cut shelter spending by 25% through new contracts related to facility/building maintenance,

upkeep, and storage; reduced annual budget expenses by 32% by successfully re-negotiating

contract rates

PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS, CONTINUED

Coordinated major volunteer projects between supporter organizations and CHOICES, including

United Way Community Care Day, Ohio State University Day of Service Project, and Soroptimist

Shelter Room Renovation Project

Implemented and facilitated organization-wide training on Introduction to Trauma Informed

Practices in Shelter

Residential Program Director February 2007 June 2009

Rosemont Center Columbus, Ohio

Local nonprofit serving abused, neglected, and troubled youth and young adults through day treatment,

outpatient therapy, foster care, counseling, and residential treatment programs.

Managed an annual budget of $1.83 million granted by Franklin County Childrens Services

Partnered with senior leaders to effectively communicate priorities derived from the organization's strategic

plan and to follow through with coordinated accountabilities, objectives, and associated budgets

Provided management guidance, strategies for service area growth, and operational assistance to residential

program supervisors; conducted annual performance evaluations and implement professional development

tools and training to maximize operational effectiveness and aid in the achievement of employee goals and

performance benchmarks

Supported the senior leadership team, program directors, and staff to take consistent and progressive steps

toward improved infrastructure as well as organizational and programmatic sustainability

Oversaw data collection systems, longitudinal evaluations, contracts, and all activities related to program

measurement; prepared and presented data collection summary reports and evaluation updates for the ED,

board of directors, and staff

Notable Accomplishments:

Enhanced organizational excellence by establishing operational benchmarks, timelines, and

resources needed to achieve strategic goals while driving improvement standards for

accountabiliy and measures of success

Reduced turnover time in client intake and discharge processes while increasing department productivity

Implemented two new programs that expanded services in areas of community need

Residential Services Supervisor March 2002 February 2007

United Methodist Childrens Home Worthington, Ohio

Local nonprofit providing services of treatment, foster care, adoption, family mental health, and outpatient

counseling.

Implementation and delivery of programs and operational services and activities that facilitate achievement

of youth development outcomes.

Identified and evaluated opportunities to improve program effectiveness; offered recommendations to board

committees for modifications to improve program performance

Coordinated agency budget development while monitoring and reporting variances in revenues and

expenditures

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Managed performance of assigned staff in achieving goals, and provided technical assistance in program

design, development, community relations, and program operations

Tracked and analyzed outcomes to ensure success through documentation, accurate and up-to-date records,

and audit preparation.

Notable Accomplishments:

Promoted to court liaison for youth and families during all court proceedings and interactions

Introduced community-centric activities including open houses, holiday gatherings, and brunches

to increase public awareness

Assertively advocated on behalf of youth in need of residential an community living and care

coordination

Developed streamlined procedures and workflows for submitting internal reports that decreased

labor time, eliminated redundancies, and increased efficiency

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS, CONTINUED

IMPACT Community Action 2014 Present

Board Member

Addressing poverty conditions in our community by providing hope-inspired help and real opportunities for

self-sufficiency. Finance Committee and Human Resource Committee lead.

Urban Resurrection Community Development Corporation 2015-Present

URCDC is a 501c3 nonprofit devoted to the provision of educational, financial, and daily skill resources to

provide for them by elevating them from a position of dependence to a position of self-sufficiency. Finance

and Fundraising Committee Lead.

EDUCATION

DeVry University Columbus, Ohio

Masters of Public Administration, Organizational Development and Nonprofit Business Policy

The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio

Bachelor of Arts, Social and Behavioral Sciences

Professional References and Salary History can be made available as requested.

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