Financial Management Analysis

Darlene Middleton

www.linkedin.com/in/darleneMid

Clayton, NC, 27567, US

Director Financial Management

Accomplished professional with extensive experience managing complex projects/programs relating to community development and grant/contract management.

Instrumental in assessing clients’ needs and providing critical knowledge to resolve intercompany pricing issues. Well-versed in strengthening relationships with clients by creating/integrating sales strategies and interpreting departmental policies/procedures to mitigate specific operating problems. In-depth knowledge of regulatory obligations related to research grant and contract activity. Highly capable of leading pre/post-award activities, including development, preparation, and submission of grants/contracts proposal in line with organizational guidelines and deadlines. Keen learner with demonstrated ability to learn new skills/technologies and adapt to new environments. Articulate communicator and people person with proficiency in expanding business coverage by fostering strong relationships across multi-disciplinary functions, stakeholders, and senior leadership.

Areas of Expertise

•Project Lifecycle Management

•Accounting & Grants Financial Analysis

•Reporting & Documentation

•Financial Analysis & Planning

•Environmental & Regulatory Compliance

•Strategic Planning & Implementation

•Contract Negotiation & Management

•Leadership & People Management

•Budgeting & Resource Control

Career Accomplishments

●Managed 12.5M in grants under USAID Clean Cities Blue Ocean (CCBO) project distributing grants in 10 countries.

●Achieved 70% reduction in sub-granting timeline in distribution of UWW COVID-19 fund worth $75M.

●Recognized as a Top New Business Earner for winning/managing several projects, including follow-on with additional funding.

●Headed restructuring and design of multiple grant programs ranging from one to twelve million USD, while training staff on small grant procedures and implementation to achieve set objectives.

Career Experience

Senior Manager -Finance 9/2023 - Present

American Institute for Research (AIR ) Remote

Responsible for financial management of the internal and external funded grants awarded under AIR Opportunity Fund in coordinating across technical units. This $225Mil investment support under-resourced programs in communities improve education and workforce development, promote safe and secure neighborhoods and enhance health outcomes and community well-being. Develop monthly forecasting and dashboard for financial tracking and reporting using Deltek-Costpoint and COGNOS.

Key Accomplishments:

Streamline the process improvement across AIR division to reduce grants processing time.

Work with AIR technical team and project manager on accurate spending forecast and financial management of grants.

Develop guidance to assess financial health of grantees organization.

Grants Manager, CCBO 6/2022 – 8/2024

Tetra Tech -ARD Remote

Led the implementation of the CCBO project’s Grants under Contract (GUC) activities in collaboration with the Project’s technical team. Responsible for managing the entire GUC portfolio in compliance with USAID’s and Tetra Tech ARD’s procedures and policies governing Grants under Contract by supporting and building the capacity of Grant Specialists in each country with selecting, managing, monitoring, and closing out a portfolio of grants. In total, CCBO is implementing $12.5 million in grants across all 10 countries.

Key Accomplishments:

●Facilitated the grant approval process in coordination with USAID for over 74 grants being implemented in 10 countries ranging from 50K to 1Mil.

●Trained all country grants specialist on transition to Salesforces database for the process and implementation of all grants.

Director, Grants & International Giving (Accounts Receivable) 6/2016 – 6/2022

United Way Worldwide (UWW) Remote/Alexandria, VA

Maintain performance in terms of budget management and compliance with donor requirements, GAAP, and applicable regulations by monitoring accounting and progress of all grants/contracts. Coordinate management of grant/contract-funded projects and addressing of questions/concerns as a Primary Liaison for other UWW teams. Facilitate US and international disbursements by setting up and managing UWW disaster funds. Administer year-end schedules for IRS form 990 by streamlining annually audit process. Steer integration of control procedures, including International Donor Advised Giving (IDAG) reporting platforms such as MS Dynamics Great Plains, Salesforce Lightening/Philanthropy Cloud, and IDAG-on-line portal along with SAP Concur and other databases. Led timely responses to request from resource development team regarding IDAG reports, namely: specific donor requirements and reporting.

Key Accomplishments:

●Enabled account receivable team in accomplishing strategic objectives, which minimized processing time by 50%.

●Transitioned invoicing system to Salesforce by developing small grants distribution process, which streamlined cash processing and reduced grants transaction reclass from 60% to 10%.

Senior Program Officer (Forestry and Natural Resource Management) 9/2001 – 5/2016

Winrock International Arlington, VA

Oversaw large-scale non-for-profit projects by leveraging knowledge of political/social cultures, trends, and operating environment in Asia, Africa, and Caribbean. Delivered technical, operation, and managerial support to expedite international development project with associated implementation. Led negotiation and management of several projects facilitating subcontractor, WI. Steered start-up and closeout of numerous large-scale multimillion projects in South Sudan, Haiti, China, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Devised model grants plan to accelerate numerous projects, while negotiating grants contracts with local grantees. Initiated capture trips as well as researched existing events/relevant strategies to prepare proposal and develop the program.

Key Accomplishments:

●Created and managed grants program, including large international projects in Asia and Africa.

●Contributed to new business development with associated proposal development/coordination, team operations/communication management, and recruitment.

●Managed over 50 proposals along with 20 multimillion dollars proposals, leading numerous winning proposals and securing over $70M in funding.

Lead Home Office Manager for multiple prime awards (Key Projects), including:

●Cambodia Supporting Forests Biodiversity with USAID worth $20M, Bangladesh USAID Climate-Resilient Ecosystems and Livelihoods worth $32.6M, USAID Tibetan Sustainable Environmental Resources for increase economic growth worth $18.

●Empowering environmental NGOs in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou Provinces as part of state department DRL with budget worth $1.42M from 2010 to 2013.

Financial Manager/Grant Manager for Key Grants:

●Directed $4M worth grants program under Bangladesh Climate-Resilience ecosystem for livelihoods.

●Delivered leadership to $75M USAID-funded Building Responsibility for Delivery of Government Services (BRIDGE) Program in South Sudan, overseeing financial management and designing, developing, and supervising the management $5.8M. grant program.

Education

Master of Science in Resource Management, Central Washington University, Ellensburg, WA

Thesis: Community-Based Conservation

Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Robert Morris University, Pittsburgh, PA

Major: Computer Information Systems

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