Carola Sanchez

About Carola Sanchez

Carola Sanchez is the first to admit that the trajectory of her life and career hasn’t been a straight line. She graduated from Fullerton Community College and worked in many educational roles for Alhambra, Long Beach, and Los Angeles Unified School Districts. Carola graduated from California State University of Los Angeles and became a certified public-school teacher, because she wanted to provide STEAM exposure and opportunities to students in low-income areas. Carola believes that students in all areas, poor or rich, deserve rich opportunities to be able to thrive. After working in many areas and seeing the injustices in education, she pursued a master’s in public administration from California State University of Long Beach. During graduate school and after, Carola worked at Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) for the for Office of the CEO and Board Relations, Policy, and Research. She assisted the Women and Girls Governing Council, Aging and Disability Transportation Network, the Office of Equity and Race, and the Community Advisory Council. Carola is currently a Grant Administrator/ Senior Housing Analyst for ICF and the California Department of Housing and Community Development- Division of Federal Financial Assistance.Carola’s life commitment is to always give back to communities and to help communities grow and prosper. Currently, Carola serves as the Director of Engagement for the Young Professionals Network (YPN) of Latinas Lead CA.

Experience

1. Senior Consultant

   ICF

   Aug 2021 — Present · VA, US

   Grant Administrator (08/09/2021- Present) with the California Department of Housing and Community Development- Division of Federal Financial Assistance.oManage and oversee 63 grant awards under the Community Development Block Grant, Coronavirus (CDBG-CV), funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to support COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. This includes reviewing, analyzing, and evaluating grants for compliance with state, local, and federal regulations, as well as preparing grant acceptance documents. Lead the development and refinement of program procedures, monitor progress, review financial reports, and maintain necessary records and databases for timely and accurate reporting.o Provide expert guidance on federal regulations (e.g, Duplication of Benefits, National Objectives, Economic Development, Davis-Bacon Labor Standards) and translate them into effective program and project implementation. Lead with an equity-driven approach, ensuring projects address disparities and promote inclusivity. Prioritize underserved and marginalized communities, ensuring resources are distributed fairly to foster opportunity. Lead diverse initiatives including utility assistance, shelter solutions for unhoused populations, emergency services, healthcare center renovations, and business support, all focused on equitable access and outcomes. Supported the management of Homekey and Tribal financial grants, overseeing compliance, monitoring progress, and assisting with financial reporting. Disaster Management Specialist (03/01/2024-06/14/2024) with the State of Texas-Texas General Land Office for the CDBG-DR- Local Buyout and Acquisition Program (LBAP). o Assisted with both pre- and post-disaster property acquisitions, using post-disaster property values to support subrecipients in acquiring properties for public purposes, such as flood risk reduction and community revitalization.