Item 20 - On-Call Grant Writing Services

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Proposal for Grant Writing Services | Santa Ana Public Works Agency Page 11 1. STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS Cori Takkinen, Vice President: Cori brings 13 years of legislative advocacy and public policy experience to TPA. Cori has extensive experience writing grants for various local, regional, state, and federal opportunities. Cori has expertise in the policy sectors of local governance, transportation, water resources, infrastructure, sanitation, parks and recreation, and economic development. Townsend Public Affairs, Inc. Vice President 2011-Present Throughout her tenure at TPA, Cori has been responsible for securing millions in competitive grant funds for local public agency clients. In addition to her expertise on municipal issues, Cori has strong experience building coalitions, identifying synergies, and leveraging all available opportunities to achieve success. Cori has a strong network of relationships with State and Federal Legislators, key staff, and various funding agencies, including the California State Department of Parks and Recreation, the Natural Resources Agency, and the California Coastal Conservancy. Some of Cori’s accomplishments include the following: • Cori worked with the City of Santa Ana to secure a direct funding allocation in the FY 2018-19 State Budget in the amount of $4 million to upgrade water infrastructure within the City. TPA worked with the City’s legislative delegation, staff from the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees, and the Department of Finance to ensure funding was included in the State Budget for this critical project to allow the City’s water customers to have real -time access to their water usage, which will help facilitate water conservation and reduce customers’ utility bills. • Leveraging relationships with the California Federal delegation, Cori currently has over $25 million in Community Project Funding (or earmarks) included in the nine appropriations bills that have passed the House. • In the FY 2021-22 State Budget, Cori worked with several municipal and nonprofit clients to secure $54 million in budget earmarks for priority projects, including funding for infrastructure improvements, parks and trails improvements. mental health, and public safety, • Cori worked with the Orange County Water District and the Orange County Sanitation District to sponsor AB 2022 (Gordon). The bill allowed for limited bottling of the highly treated and recycled GWRS water for educational purposes. The bill was the first legislation in the nation that allowed for the direct bottling of advanced treated recycled water. TPA secured bi-partisan support for the legislation and it was signed into law. • Worked closely with the State Legislature and Administration on the development and implementation of Proposition 68, the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018. Cori worked in support of a variety of clients to create specific funding opportunities to achieve desired results. In addition to securing funding opportunities for municipalities, Cori’s efforts with Proposition 68 resulted in $4.8 million to fund a conservation program at West Coyote Hills in Fullerton as well as $3.46 million to fund science education at the Discovery Cube Orange County. Prior to joining TPA, Cori worked as a Policy Advisor for then-Orange County Supervisor John Moorlach. Cori holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Government with Leadership Sequence from Claremont McKenna College and a Masters in Public Administration from Chapman University.