Kent County is pleased to announce the appointment of Joanne E. McNamara, JD, as its first Director of Grants and Contracts, a new position created to strengthen the County’s ability to pursue, secure, and manage critical funding opportunities. McNamara brings nearly 15 years of grant strategy, development, and management experience across federal, state, and private funding streams.
Over the past year, McNamara has served as the County’s Grant Administrator, where she has significantly expanded the County’s access to external funding—securing grants that the County had never previously received. In this role, she has also taken the lead in managing the County’s Opioid Restitution Fund, guiding the development of funding recommendations and ensuring that awarded projects align with state requirements and community needs. Her work has strengthened the County’s grant infrastructure, improved compliance processes, and positioned the County to compete more effectively for state and federal funding opportunities.
Before joining the County, McNamara most recently served as a Senior Manager in CohnReznick’s Community Health Consulting Practice, where she led full-lifecycle grant work, including identifying funding opportunities, preparing competitive proposals, developing budgets, and overseeing post-award compliance. Her experience includes working extensively with major federal agencies such as HRSA, SAMHSA, and the CDC, among others, as
well as advising community health centers, certified community behavioral health clinics, and other safety-net providers on regulatory compliance and long-term funding sustainability.
Previously, she held planning and development roles at Ryan Health, a large nonprofit network of health centers serving New York City, where she developed the organization’s federal, state, and local grant funding streams, managed reporting requirements, and coordinated project development across departments. She also conducted epidemiological and community needs assessments to guide program and funding strategies.
McNamara holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law, where she graduated cum laude, earned distinction as a Leadership Scholar, and served as Senior Articles Editor for the Journal of Health Care Law & Policy. She earned her cum laude Honors Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and the Sigma Iota Rho International Relations Honor Society.
Board President Ron Fithian praised the appointment, saying:
“Joanne brings a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record securing important funding for community programs. Her expertise will help ensure the County can pursue new opportunities and manage them responsibly. We’re glad to have her on board.”
