Amanda Parsons has been at McAllister & Quinn for two decades and has built an impressive career in leadership working across government, academic, and private sectors. As Chief of Staff, Amanda leads special projects, strategic intelligence (SI), internally and externally facing SI products, government relations and appropriations, and internal operations for the practice (including efficiencies, technology, and training).
In her previous role as a Managing Director, Amanda worked collaboratively with clients to secure tens of millions of dollars in external funding (federal and state grants, congressionally directed spending, and foundations) for a wide range of projects including student scholarships, faculty-led research, programmatic and student support, recruitment and retention activities, and curriculum development.
Amanda continues to partner strategically with clients to identify, pursue, and secure external funding that aligns with institutional priorities, managing all aspects of the application process from concept to final submission.
Her particular areas of focus include congressionally directed spending (CDS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), Department of Education (ED), and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
In addition to her experience at McAllister & Quinn, Amanda has also served on the Global Development Policy and Advocacy team at Save the Children International. At Save the Children, Amanda’s efforts contributed to increased support for higher funding levels for global health accounts at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and the introduction of legislation to improve the health of mothers and infants in the developing world. Earlier in her career, she worked as a congressional aide on the staff of Congressman John McHugh (R-NY) and as committee staff for the House Science Committee. In those positions, she handled numerous legislative matters that involved higher education and science research policy.
Amanda earned a master’s in public policy at Georgetown University and her bachelor’s in politics from Ithaca College. She attained her Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification in 2022. Amanda taught as an adjunct professor for both 2-year and 4-year institutions in courses covering politics, influencing the government, and American history. Amanda is a native of upstate New York and currently resides in North Carolina.