After working and living in almost half the states in the US, Hoosier native Deb Morrone returned to Indiana to raise her son. Years later, she still loves living near old friends and familiar places, but definitely has not readapted to Midwest winters after residing in CA! In Indiana she found the long-established nomadic life of a pharmaceutical rep was not a good fit and transitioned her career into roles in municipal, then federal, then county government service. In those positions, her involvement in grant-funded projects re-awakened an interest in grant management and she opened a successful grant development and management business serving cities and states throughout the US.

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Deb’s grant roles in her government service positions grew and after eight years she shuttered her business and transitioned fully into local positions focused on obtaining and managing grants and grant-funded projects. She spent several years successfully procuring public safety programs and projects with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Institute of Justice, the US and IN Departments of Homeland Security, and Regional Community Policing Institutes. She holds certifications in standard and advanced financial grant management from the DOJ, FEMA the National Fire Academy, and has worked closely with the Office of Management and Budget.

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In 2019, Deb’s career took her to a grants management position overseeing the implementation, compliance, and integration of federal education grants exceeding $150,000,000 for one of the state’s largest school districts. She worked closely with federal Title and other formula grants as well as discretionary grants including TSL, Magnet, and Gear Up as well as obtaining and administering public safety grants to serve and advance the district’s needs. In 2021, after reviewing the ACHIEVE TSL Grant application submitted by the Center for Strategic Leadership and Organizational Coherence (CSL), Deb immediately recognized the potential for the proposed project to transform education and directly impact students. Eager to take part and to work with Dr. Maridada, she accepted a role as Executive Director of Human Resources and Finance at CSL. This multi-dimensional role allows her to employ talents and skills acquired throughout her career in pursuit of meaningful and lasting change in education. The son who prompted the move to IN is now thriving in his own career in Denver, so Deb is planning a move to a much warmer region soon—and continuing to serve in her role at CSL.