Carolyn Benard, M.S., is a senior program manager at Advocates for Human Potential (AHP), currently serving as an implementation specialist supporting the California Community Care Expansion (CCE) and Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Projects (BHCIP). She has more than 20 years of experience, including managing funding application processes from both the funder and applicant perspective; developing and negotiating memoranda of understanding (MOUs), contracts, and statements of work (SOWs); conducting training regarding regulations and compliance; and creating systems for workplan management, monitoring, and reporting. She has also provided training and technical assistance (TTA) to a wide range of stakeholders around topics such as program development, team management, and reporting and data collection.
 

Before joining AHP, Ms. Benard was grant and project manager for the Capacity Building Center for Tribes federal cooperative agreement, housed with the Butler Institute for Families at the University of Denver. There, she conducted project reporting and assisted with sub-agreement and contract management for a national, multi-partner, complex initiative that supports capacity building for tribal child welfare organizations. She also coordinated the Center for Tribes communication plan to include project team and workgroup communication, information dissemination, task management, and action planning. Other relevant work includes serving as director of grants and agreements for The Corps Network, program coordinator for the Washington Service Corps, and AmeriCorps Human Needs Team coordinator for Community Youth Services. Ms. Benard holds an M.S. in organizational leadership from the University of Denver and a B.A. in cultural anthropology from Pacific Lutheran University.