Teresa Sweeney Named NOVA’s New Director of Grants Office
Teresa Sweeney has been named the director of NOVA’s Grants Office. She joined NOVA in 2021, and brings 30 years of experience in education, grant portfolio development, project management and federal contracting. Before joining NOVA, she was the director of the education division of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and senior research associate at RMC Research Corp., where she won and directed many multi-million dollar grants with federal and state departments of education, labor and health and human services. Prior to her work as a federal contractor, Teresa was the executive director of two nonprofit adult literacy organizations and administrator of a national family literacy initiative for the United Way of America. Her work spans several content and programmatic areas, including early childhood education, adult education, English language learning, career pathways and evaluation. She has designed and delivered technical assistance and professional development to educators across the country, including assisting states with plans and implementation strategies to satisfy regulations for federal programs such as Early Reading First, Reading First, Even Start Family Literacy and programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). She has also been a federal and state grant reviewer.
As an administrator, Teresa was responsible for ensuring that her team and unit were successful and produced high-quality results. “My goal as a manager has always been to create a setting where everyone can contribute, grow and feel valued. I encourage questions and am famous for asking them myself! Getting the work done is always more enjoyable when we support each other.”
Teresa has a master’s in education from George Mason University and certifications in nonprofit management, board development and group facilitation. She has served on several regional and national boards and coalitions that support community-based solutions to the problems of illiteracy and poverty, including the Arlington Adult Education REEP Center, Literacy Volunteers of America-National Capital Area, National Forum on Information Literacy and the Virginia Governor’s Commission on Libraries. In her leisure time, she engages in as many cultural activities as possible – music, art, literature, dance, movies and theater – and she is an avid home cook. She has a large, extended family. “Basically, we’re a small village with all the attendant characters,” she said.
“Like many NOVA students, I am the first person in my family to graduate from college. I devoted my life to education, not only because I love learning, but because I believe it is the path to freedom and opportunity. I have taught learners across the age spectrum, and through all my career roles, the learners we serve are always my first concern. The Grants Office has a solid foundation and many exciting grants in progress, and I look forward to building on its success to create a model that will serve NOVA’s students, faculty and staff, priorities and mission now and in the future.”
Submitted by:
Kathy Thompson, Communications, KAThompson@nvcc.edu