Valerie Secker serves as a Director of Grants and Federal Affairs in the non-profit practice. Working closely with her clients, she connects them with federal funding opportunities that match their organizational goals.
The first 15 years of Valerie’s career were dedicated to federal service. After serving three US Members of Congress, she sought a position at a mission-driven executive agency – the National Institutes of Health. Starting out as a key member of the NIH Director’s immediate staff, she transitioned to the National Cancer Institute as the Deputy Director of Communications.
The next 15 years, spent in the education and high-tech fields, contributed to Valerie’s well-rounded career. She served as the Director of a STEM education organization and then ran the adult education campus of a local university. In both roles, she used her relationship-building and strategic communication skills to increase enrollment and brand recognition. In her last role before joining M&Q, Valerie honed her program and project management skills at an international tech company. While there, she served as a Scrum Master and formed a technical project management organization. She also led a highly successful coding academy for internal employees.
Valerie graduated from DeSales University, located in her home state of Pennsylvania, with a degree in Politics. She earned her Master of Public Administration from The American University in Washington, DC.
Affiliations and Awards
Instructional Design Certification, Association for Talent Development
Professional Scrum Master I Certification, Scrum.org
Agile Project Management Certified, The Agile Knowledge Base