David Pinter is the new Grants Director at Shoreline Community College.

David Pinter

“I’m very pleased to welcome David to the Shoreline team,” said Ann Garnsey-Harter, Executive Director of the Virtual College and Resource Development. “The college is working on exciting projects. David’s skills and experience will be a tremendous help in finding and competing for funding that can help the college help students.”

Pinter will report to Garnsey-Harter starting Monday, Feb. 24, 2014.

Pinter comes to Shoreline from the Austin (Texas) Community College District where he was a resource development officer and grant writer, charged with carrying out all aspects of grant development.  His tasks included facilitating meetings among stakeholders, writing compelling proposals, creating viable budgets and overseeing the grant-submittal process.

Pinter also provided biweekly updates on upcoming grant opportunities to the President’s Leadership Team, created and revised the content on the department’s website, oversaw the approval and submittal of letters and contracts leaving the President’s Office and assisted or led non-grant related projects as needed.

Prior to the community college experience, Pinter was the Director of Fund Development at Extend-A-Care, Inc., a private agency that works with school districts in the Austin area to provide on-site after school child care for elementary-age children. He supervised and managed the organization’s grant funding activities, special events and departmental financial planning. Pinter doubled the organization’s annual grant income, increased program revenue stream and chartered various curriculum enhancements.

Pinter also served as the resource development coordinator for Open Door Preschools, an agency that runs three pre-kindergarten facilities in Austin. Earlier in his career, Pinter taught children with disabilities and is an adamant supporter of including differently abled individuals in all aspects of society, particularly public education.

Pinter earned a BA in English from the University of Texas at Austin in 2005 and has worked in the field of resource development for nine years.

McKinzie Strait is heading for Washington, D.C.

McKinzie Strait

Unfortunately for Shoreline Community College, Strait is going as a new member of the University of Washington’s Federal Relations team.

Strait came to Shoreline in July, 2012 as Executive Associate to the President for External Affairs. This past August, Strait added the words “and Resource Development” to her title and took on a new role with the Shoreline Community College Foundation, supervising Foundation staff and supporting the Foundation board.

“The experience at Shoreline has been great and I’m very thankful, but this is an opportunity I just can’t pass up,” Strait said. The position requires moving to Washington, D.C., an uprooting made somewhat easier by the fact that Strait has family who live in D.C. and also work in higher education.

Before coming to Shoreline, Strait worked as legislative assistant for state Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-32nd Dist. She also served as a policy intern for three members of the Washington State House of Representatives. A University of Washington graduate in Political Science, Strait also worked at the public relations firms of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, serving as account coordinator on the Microsoft Business Division team.

“This is a national opportunity for McKinzie and we’re quite excited for her,” said Ann Garnsey-Harter, Executive Director for the Virtual College and Resource Development. “While we will miss her, this means we’ll have a new friend in D.C. I wish her the best of luck.”

Interim President Daryl Campbell and others are discussing how to best fill the position. Strait’s final day on campus is scheduled to be Friday, Jan. 17, 2014.