Sandra Lewis Hodge is the CEO and Senior Consultant for The Mariah Group, Inc. Sandra is a Certified Grant Specialist (CGS) and was the first individual, African American and woman honored with this title in the State of Mississippi in 1999. Her expertise includes fiscal and accounting administration, program administration, grant writing, federal and state grants review, complianceassessment, budget development, and program design, evaluation, and monitoring.
Her professional background includes service to ECD / Hope Credit Union as Director of Development and Investor Relations, Tougaloo College as the Assistant Vice President for Contracts and Student Administration and the Director of Grants and Budgets with oversight of $22 million in grants/contract funding, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) as Staff Officer to the Deputy Administrator for state-wide programs, Jackson State University as Grants Management Specialist with oversight and management of over $40 million in external funding from federal, state, corporate and private funding sources.
Her professional affiliations are:
- National Contract Association
- Association for Fundraising Professionals
- American Marketing Association
- National Grants Management Association
- American Institute of Professional Bookeepers
- National Research Associates
- National Grants Writer’s Association
- Certified Grant Specialist (Awarded in 1999)
The Mariah Group consulting team is comprised of seasoned development and management professionals with more than a decade of hands-on experience with nonprofits and foundations. From assistance with annual campaigns and special events to actual on-site audit and compliance management, our staff knows the world of nonprofits, inside and out. Committed to excellence and to providing superior service – every staff member is well versed in our personalized approach to philanthropic fundraising, nonprofit management, social marketing and regulatory compliance.
Responsive, knowledgeable, and dedicated to assisting clients by providing accurate, accountable services in response to your organization’s specific needs. Our team includes the following:
- Program Evaluator
- Marketing Specialist
- Project Auditor
- Fiscal Accounting Coordinator
- Training Specialist
She is a graduate of Jackson State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Marketing and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Public Policy. Sandra is a Certified Grant Specialist (CGS) and was the first individual, African American and women honored with this title in the State of Mississippi in 1999. She is a member of the National Grant Writer’s Association, the National Grants Management Association, the National Contract Association and the American Marketing Association. With any project she manages or administers as a consultant, Sandra brings to the table three (3) C’s. She is capable, competent and has the capacity to make it happen. She has garnered outstanding results based on her CAPABILITY to produce, she has developed extreme COMPETENCY in her field and over the years she has developed the CAPACITY to provided professional services on a national, state and local level. Listed below are just a few of her achievements that demonstrate her capabilities, competency and capacity.
CAPABILITY
Secure over $17 million in grants and external funding;
Accomplished 10+ years of administrative management experience, operational and personnel supervision, and financial management of over 450+ million dollars in grant/contracts;
Served as Assistant Vice President for Contracts and Student Administration, Program/Project Manager, Director for Grants and Budgets, Grants Management Compliance Officer, Grants Management Specialist and Community Developer at various levels of Higher Education, State Government and Non-profit; and
Supervised and coordinated state-level Division Directors, Regional Directors, Divisional staff and County Directors (approx 3,000) for over 100+ programs for the State of Mississippi Department of Human Services.
COMPETENCY
Advanced Certified Grants Specialist (CGS) on a national level from the National Grant Writer’s Association and a competent grant writer, consultant and trainer; and
Served as Grant/Contract Review Administrator and provided coordination and support for six (6) TANF RFP Initiatives in 2000 (approx. $70 million), five (5) in 2001(approx. $50 million) and eight (8) abstinence subcontracts in 2004 (approx. $200 thousand annually);
CAPACITY
Experienced administrative manager, coordinator and technical assistance provider in the development, administration and program management of Federal Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, Department of Justice and Department of Education sponsored grants and contracted programs.
