Dr. Vanessa Nelson-Reed

Dr. Vanessa Nelson-Reed serves as the Federal Program Administrator in the Federal Programs Monitoring and Support Division at North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Her subprograms include the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program and the ESEA programs for Neglected and Delinquent Youth. 

She has over 25 years of experience in higher education and K-12 education administration. She has managed and monitored Federal programs for Career and Technology Education (Perkins) and special education (IDEA). In her consulting capacity, she conducted compliance visits for 21st Century Learning Center, special education and Title I programs. 

She has a Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership from Capella University, a Masters in Education in College Student Development from Virginia Tech, and a Bachelors in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She brings her practical experience and hands on experience to the Grant Writing courses. She lives in Irmo with her husband Larry and their two children.

 

 

Chris Segars

Chris Segars has more than 30 years’ experience from a myriad of roles, capacities, and industries throughout her career. At the University of South Carolina, Chris serves as a Director of Development in the Corporate & Foundation Relations Department. In this role, she acts as a liaison between the University and foundations and corporations with a philanthropic mission. She identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospective corporate and foundation donors; provides stewardship for assigned donors; and assists in managing the prospect portfolio information.

Since joining USC in December 2019, she’s helped secure more than $7 million in funding. Prior to coming to USC, she worked as the Grant Administrator for the City of Columbia for almost 11 years. While at the City—and acting as a one-person department—Chris garnered almost $32 million in grant funding, specializing in large competitive federal, state, and private/foundation solicitations. In addition, Chris has been a freelance writer for her company, More Than Just Words, for more than 25 years, specializing in creating training, technical, fundraising, and marketing materials and content.

Chris possesses her GPC certification, one of only 10 credentialed grant professionals in South Carolina, and maintains an active membership in both the national and SC chapters of the Grants Professional Association. She is a summa cum laude graduate of Francis Marion University, where she received her BA degree.