Cindy Vaias

With an impressive resume and diverse career history, Cindy Vaias brings a long and successful track record to her work as Chief Grants Officer at Anthem Grant and Advocacy in Seattle and as Owner/Executive Producer at GiantForms.com in Bainbridge Island, Washington. Upon receipt of her Master’s degree in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, Cindy Vaias relocated to Emeryville, California, where she took a position as a Project Manager with TeacherUniverse.com. Cindy Vaias oversaw the development of numerous software programs for a vast array of multilingual distance learning applications. Managing all facets of company communications, Cindy Vaias dedicated herself to client acquisition and retention and acted as primary outreach coordinator for strategic partnerships with various organizations and venture capitalists. Cindy Vaias also conducted thorough budget reviews, implemented marketing campaigns, and monitored production quality for TeacherUniverse.com. Cindy Vaias received and accepted an offer from Thomson Learning in Belmont, California, to work as Market Development Manager. Drawing from expertise gained at TeacherUniverse.com, Cindy Vaias developed a comprehensive sales, marketing, advertising, and PR campaign for Thomson Learning’s $25 million catalogue of educational publications and software. Cindy Vaias oversaw all aspects of marketing for Thomson Learning, including the annual budget of the department, sales to both corporations and consumers, creation of online and direct mail advertising, and more. As Market Development Manager, Cindy Vaias handled the major responsibilities associated with the promotion of Thomson Learning’s global publications and ensured the successful implementation of these campaigns through a network of more than 1,200 sales representatives. Recognizing her success at Thomson Learning, Oakland, California-based Beyond Emancipation hired Cindy Vaias to serve as Director of Development in 2005. In a shift from her previous duties, Cindy Vaias helped Beyond Emancipation in its efforts to provide social services for former residents of foster homes. At Beyond Emancipation, Cindy Vaias focused her attention on accumulating grants from federal agencies, private foundations, and corporations to establish a positive and supportive environment for young people setting out in the world. Over the course of two years, Cindy Vaias secured more than $2.7 million in scholarship funding for emancipated young adults for Beyond Emancipation and would later continue her work in grants at Anthem Grant and Advocacy. CFRE-certified, Cindy Vaias lives on Bainbridge Island, Washington.