Ashley Glears
Silver Spring,MD
Summary
Strategic nonprofit program and training professional with 10+ years of progressively responsible experience supporting disability services, nonprofit operations, technical assistance, education, and community-based programming. Experienced in coordinating complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives; developing training and technical assistance; managing projects, events, and operational processes; preparing executive-level presentations and communications; and supporting grant-funded initiatives. Currently serves as a Senior Associate at The Arc of the United States, supporting a national network of nearly 600 local chapters and co-leading organizational work focused on diversity, accessibility, equity, and inclusion. Brings a strong combination of project management, stakeholder engagement, grant support, communications, accessibility, and program operations experience.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Associate, Chapter Training & Development
The Arc of the United States
06.2022 - Current
- Provide strategic and operational support for programs serving a national network of nearly 600 local Arc chapters, coordinating training, technical assistance, resources, and implementation support across diverse organizations and geographic communities.
- Coordinate multiple concurrent projects, initiatives, deliverables, timelines, and stakeholder priorities while ensuring work aligns with organizational goals and strategic priorities.
- Provide technical assistance and consultation to chapters on organizational development, leadership, governance, accessibility, diversity, equity, inclusion, and program implementation.
- Develop and facilitate professional learning opportunities, webinars, workshops, leadership development programming, and other capacity-building initiatives for nonprofit leaders and staff.
- Co-lead The Arc's DAEI (Diversity, Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusion) Team, supporting organizational strategy, communications, training, and implementation of accessibility and inclusion priorities.
- Develop executive-ready PowerPoint presentations, training materials, reports, workbooks, templates, guides, and other professional communications for internal and external audiences.
- Lead development of the Stronger Chapters Webinar Series and related chapter development resources, coordinating content, presenters, schedules, communications, and implementation.
- Developed Strong Organizations, Strong Futures / Chapter Strength Series programming and resources to enhance chapter capacity and organizational effectiveness.
- Maintained operational resources, templates, procedures, and guidance to ensure consistency, accessibility, and quality across programs.
- Coordinate national meetings, conferences, webinars, and leadership development events, including scheduling, speaker coordination, accessibility services, communications, logistics, technology, and participant support.
- Oversee accessibility planning for major organizational events, coordinating services including ASL interpretation, CART captioning, virtual accessibility tools, and accessible presentation practices.
- Collaborate with internal departments, local chapters, nonprofit partners, vendors, funders, and external stakeholders to advance organizational priorities and deliver high-quality programs.
- Contribute to grant-funded initiatives through program coordination, development of supporting materials, stakeholder communication, reporting support, and implementation activities.
- Support development and implementation of operational systems using platforms including Salesforce, Cvent, Zoom, SharePoint, Asana, Membership Toolkit, and CRM systems.
- Manage competing priorities in a fast-paced national nonprofit environment while exercising independent judgment, identifying operational needs, and anticipating project risks.
- Coordinate with senior leaders and colleagues to prepare for meetings, presentations, trainings, strategic initiatives, and stakeholder engagements.
Program/Administrative Professional
Kennedy Krieger Institute
Baltimore, USA
10.2016 - 06.2022
- Supported nonprofit and disability-focused programs serving individuals, families, professionals, and community stakeholders.
- Coordinated program activities, communications, documentation, meetings, and operational priorities across multiple workstreams.
- Collaborated with multidisciplinary teams and external stakeholders to support effective program implementation and service delivery.
- Prepared professional communications, presentations, reports, and program materials for internal and external audiences.
- Managed competing deadlines and administrative responsibilities in a complex healthcare and nonprofit environment.
- Supported organizational initiatives focused on disability services, education, community engagement, and professional development.
Education
Master of Education (M.Ed.) - Curriculum & Instruction
Trinity Washington University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Psychology
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Associate of Arts (A.A.) -
Montgomery College
Skills
- Program & Project Management
- Technical Assistance & Consultation
- Grant Administration & Funder Support
- Strategic Planning & Implementation
- Community & Stakeholder Engagement
- Budget & Resource Tracking
- Meeting & Convening Management
- Process Improvement & SOP Development
- Training & Curriculum Development
- Executive Presentations & Reporting
- Partnership Development
- Accessibility & Inclusion
- Cross-Functional Coordination
- Microsoft Office & Virtual Collaboration
- Project Management Platforms
- Nonprofit Operations
Professional Development And Certifications
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate - Cornell University
- RISE Program - Institute for Nonprofit Practice, completed 2026
- CAPM / Project Management Training
- PMP Preparation
Selected Program And Strategic Experience
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate - Cornell University
- RISE Program - Institute for Nonprofit Practice, completed 2026
- CAPM / Project Management Training
- PMP Preparation
Additional Qualifications
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate - Cornell University
- RISE Program - Institute for Nonprofit Practice, completed 2026
- CAPM / Project Management Training
- PMP Preparation
Timeline
Senior Associate, Chapter Training & Development
The Arc of the United States
06.2022 - Current
Program/Administrative Professional
Kennedy Krieger Institute
10.2016 - 06.2022
Master of Education (M.Ed.) - Curriculum & Instruction
Trinity Washington University
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) - Psychology
University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)
Associate of Arts (A.A.) -
Montgomery College