Sewickley officials hire grant writer to help get money for new projects
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Sewickley officials hope to acquire more funds for projects through the assistance of a grant writer.
Council recently appointed Kimberley Hileman to seek such financial opportunities in order to benefit the borough.
“Like many small communities with aging infrastructure, we have a backlog of capital needs,” council president Cynthia Mullins said via email. “At this time, it appears there is a lot of grant money around. So, it made sense to retain a specialist to really boost our chances of obtaining significant funding. For the last several years, council has expressed an interest in developing a comprehensive capital improvement plan, and now we are beginning to achieve that goal.”
Hileman is principal at Dentons Cohen & Grigsby’s Pittsburgh office.
She has more than 15 years of experience working in the government affairs industry at the local, state and federal level, according to her company bio.
Hileman has served as a legislative aide for the House in Washington, D.C., as well as a senior government affairs manager for a Pennsylvania lobbying firm.
The Indiana University of Pennsylvania graduate also served for four years as a legislative assistant to Congressman Mike Doyle, D-Forest Hills.
Her contract with Sewickley for professional services began March 9 and will run through the end of the year. Her compensation is a $5,000 monthly retainer.
Mullins said no other candidates were considered for the grant writer position.
“Hileman specializes in project planning, grant application development, submission and post-award compliance,” Mullins said. “These are the skills we need to take advantage of available funding. In Kim, we are getting much more than a grant writer. We are getting an expert who will focus on delivering funding for our borough.”
Hileman did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.