who we are
About Us
Cheryl A. Townsel is an independent freelance consultant. An accomplished senior-level professional, she has diverse management consulting, grant and proposal writing, national policy and advocacy, governance, and trade association management experience.
S.M. degree in Health Policy and Management from Harvard University School of Public Health
B.A. in Psychology from Oberlin College
Our mission
Our mission is to support mission driven organizations in enhancing their capabilities and increasing their capacity to serve with excellence.
Our vision
Our vision is for an ever-increasing community of well-resourced mission driven organizations positioned to increase and enhance the supports available to empower the vulnerable and underserved communities, particularly black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), they serve.
Our story
Our ability to help organizations strengthen their capabilities comes from over three decades of diverse experience in various geographic markets, niche industries, and diversity of professional roles, honing skills in: Strategic Planning, Meeting and Event Planning, Proposal Management and Writing (Request for Proposals/Grants), Technical Assistance (Infrastructure /Capacity Building) and Meeting & Group Facilitation. We realized over time that in addition to core competencies and skills, there are certain personal characteristics or strengths that uniquely enable us to help our clients:
- Maximizer – super talented in transform something strong into something superb.
- Input – resourcefulness fueled by tendency to collect and archive all kinds of information.
- Positivity – lead and motivate teams through contagious enthusiasm
- Relator – cultivate relationships by working working collaboratively to achieve a goal.
- Activator – make things happen by turning thoughts into action . . . “I’m the little engine that could”
Extensive Background
Our primary causes
Her healthcare career spans more than three decades and includes an extensive background in companies serving vulnerable populations including Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHCs) and managed care plans operating in commercial and public markets including Medicaid, Medicare and dual-eligibles. Townsel’s managed care experience includes serving as a founding Board member, Officer, and start-up Executive Director, for the National Association of Urban Based HMOs (NAUHMO, now Medicaid Health Plans of America or MHPA). The association is a national membership trade organization of health plans serving government markets, primarily Medicaid with a primary focus to provide research, analysis and educational forums supporting the development of effective policy and best practice solutions for health plans serving Medicaid and other vulnerable populations. Her leadership in policy and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations led to her recognition in the form of a resolution from the Council of the District of Columbia in 2004.
Cheryl’s grant professional experience includes performance as a contract external grant reviewer for several federal government agencies and private foundations since 1995 including the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Administration for Community Living (ACL), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Southern REACH program, AIDS United.
Additionally, Ms. Townsel has served as an internal panel reviewer for private grants management companies and consulting companies including Solix, Inc. and McAllister and Quinn. Since 2020 Ms. Townsel’s grant professional services have contributed to $10M in HRSA grant wins to five client organizations.
Let us know how we can help…
Email: cheryltownsel@gmail.com