Harrington
HUNTINGTON -- To assist its clients in identifying and obtaining grant funding, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough has added a grants coordinator to its government relations services.
Steve Harrington, GPC, will assist clients in identifying competitive funding opportunities primarily from government sources as well as writing, securing, and managing grants and reporting requirements.
Having held grant-related positions in both state and local government, Harrington has more than 20 years experience in obtaining and managing grants. He is one of only 250 grant professionals in the nation to have attained Grant Professional Certification (GPC) from the Grant Professional Certification Institute.
Nelson Mullins has 12 East Coast offices, including one in Huntington. The firm represents a number of local government agencies, healthcare and educational institutions, and other service providers that can benefit from Harrington's experience, said Ed Poliakoff, who leads the Firm's Government Relations Practice.
"Funding sources that can assist organizations with their growth and sustainability are out there, but knowing where to look is key," he said. "The application process and reporting requirements can be daunting. These are areas in which Steve has extensive experience and will be of tremendous assistance to our clients in maneuvering through the process."
Recent federal stimulus funding opportunities point to the growing importance of seeking out grants and loans from federal agencies for assistance as other funding sources appear to be declining, Poliakoff said. Much of the new federal funding for educational improvements and renewable energy is competitively funded via grants.
Harrington formerly served as grants administrator for Clarendon County, S.C., where he administered multi-million dollar project funding among 130 different projects from 15 different funding sources. He also has served as a grants officer for the Charleston County (South Carolina) School District and was grants coordinator for the South Carolina Department of Public Safety/South Carolina Department of Highways and Public Transportation.
His accomplishments include increasing grants for a local government from $100,000 to more than $7 million in 24 months and managing more than 135 grant projects from 15 government agencies.
Harrington earned Bachelors of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of South Carolina in 1985. He earned a Masters in Library and Information Science in 1994 from the University of South Carolina.
Harrington is a member of the American Association of Grants Professionals. He serves as secretary of the National Board of the American Association of Grants Professionals Foundation.
Established in 1897, Nelson Mullins has more than 400 attorneys and government relations professionals practicing from offices in Atlanta, Boston, Tallahassee, West Virginia, Washington, D.C., and throughout the Carolinas.
For more information on the firm, go to www.nelsonmullins.com.