Welcome to
lorie kayler
& Associates

Testimonials

OUR FOCUS

Services We Offer
Go to GRANT WRITING

GRANT WRITING
Go to STRATEGIC PLANNING

STRATEGIC PLANNING
Go to BOARD TRAINING

BOARD TRAINING
Go to STAFF DEVELOPMENT

STAFF DEVELOPMENT
Go to CONSULTATION

CONSULTATION
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ONLINE SURVEYS

About Us

Excellence through a Team Approach
The LKA Network

We believe in a team approach. With LKA’s experienced writers, planners, researchers, clinicians, and data and finance specialists, your organization benefits from a wide range of expertise. We also draw from the experiences of our client base, and from your staff who are at the front lines in service delivery. We bring these perspectives together to assist your organization in developing competitive applications, designing effective programs, and creating strategic plans.

  • Through site visits, strategic planning, and the proposal development process, we note areas of particular strength or experience, and areas where you ask for help. Some of you will be asked to share your expertise—how to start up a pharmacy, clinical policies and procedures, QI plans. Others will benefit from those willing to share. We aim to increase this free sharing of resources, ideas, and expertise among the LKA client “network.” Sharing doesn’t cost a thing, but it has tremendous value.

  • In order to provide services tailored to fit your needs, LKA invests time in learning about your organization and the community you serve. While some consultation is through internet and phone, site visits provide valuable information to the client and LKA team. We are also able to assist organizations through the strategic planning process, which dovetails with preparing annual applications and lays the groundwork for competitive opportunities. Lorie Kayler and Jason Hamilton provide onsite consultation, strategic planning, and workshops.

OUR TEAM

LORIE KAYLER

Team Leader/Editor/Strategic Planner
During her undergraduate years in the UNC-CH School of Public Health, Lorie interned at a rural health center, working with migrant and seasonal farmworkers. That internship resulted in a job at the N.C. Office of Rural Health where she provided consultation to health centers across the state. Lorie began writing grant applications during those years, and completed her Master’s degree in Health Policy & Administration at UNC-CH. After 5 years with the State, Lorie “retired,” relocating due to her husband’s career, and settled into taking care of their newborn son. What started with a few health centers requesting assistance has grown by word of mouth to over 90 clients located throughout the US.

JASON HAMILTON

Project Manager/Editor/Strategic Planner
Jason has helped many organizations define their mission, think outside the box, implement effective systems, refine and better communicate their message. A Quality Improvement Specialist emphasizing measuring and improving the impact.

JOSH HARDIN

Editor/Team Writer
Josh has 10 years of experience in writing, editing, and publishing. His novels received 1 Frankfurt award nomination, 2 EPPIE nominations and 1 EPPIE award for the best in ebooks. He owns a publishing company and has written books on youth ministry and apologetics.

DEBBIE GRAMMER

Team Writer/Editor
Debbie has over 20 years grant writing and editing experience. After completing a Master’s in Public Health at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, she developed medication assistance programs, managed a Health Care for the Homeless program, and grew a development department for a community health center. Her grant writing experience includes new access points, service expansions, budget period renewals, and service area competition applications. Let’s get funded!

YVONNE DAILEY

Team Writer/Graphics Specialist
Yvonne’s career has focused on various aspects of communication in commercial, government, and non-profit entities, including technical documentation, business communication, image marketing, and website development.

TIM FREER

Team Writer/Editor/Attachment Specialist
Tim completed a Bachelors Degree at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2011 for Editing and Graphic Design. In his time at school, he wrote for The Daily Tar Heel and was a writing, editing, and graphics intern at Well Magazine (affiliated with UNC Health Care). Since graduation, he has earned well-rounded experience at different organizations as a writer, proofreader, transcriptionist, and grant writer. He has worked with Lorie Kayler & Associates since July 2013.

JENNIFER CLARK

Team Writer
Jennifer is an independent consultant with 20 years of experience in the planning, implementation and management of health services in the community health center setting. Throughout her tenure as a Chief Operating Officer, she assisted with the development of numerous federal and private grant applications for construction, service expansion and the implementation of new health center services for the uninsured, homeless, and persons living with HIV/AIDS. She and her husband live in Liberty, SC near their beloved alma mater, Clemson University.

CATHY NIELSON

Team Writer
Cathy has a BS in Occupational Therapy from the Medical College of Georgia and an MPH from the School of Public Health at UNC-Chapel Hill. As an occupational therapist, Cathy worked in mental health programs in both Pennsylvania and North Carolina before joining the faculty of the Occupational Therapy Division, School of Medicine, UNC-Chapel Hill. She spent over 20 years on the faculty in both teaching and administrative roles.

ALYSON IOTT

Team Writer
After earning her BA in English from Kenyon College in 2003, Alyson Iott worked as a newspaper journalist and freelance writer in the Midwest, Southwest, and Canada before embarking on a second career as a middle-school teacher of math and Language Arts. Her writing has appeared in national and international publications.

LAURA EMERSON EDWARDS, RN, MPA

Clinical Specialist
Laura is a Registered Nurse with more than 25 years of experience in a variety of health care settings. For the past 15 years, she has worked in community/public health, getting her start at Wake Health Services, a community health center in Raleigh NC. After 3 years with Wake Health Services as Director of Quality and Patient Services, Laura served for 6 years in a statewide clinical role with the North Carolina Community Health Center Association.

EMILY RODMAN

Data Specialist
Emily graduated from Cornell University in 1997 with her BS in Natural Resources. Her interest in Public Health developed during her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador and through her work with immigrants and low-income communities in the United States upon her return. She earned her Masters of Public Health from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2006.

CHERYL AVERY

Finance Lead
Cheryl has spent much of her career working in management, budgets and forecasting in various industries. This includes over three years with Wake Health Services, Inc, a community health center in Raleigh, NC, as a Finance Director, then consultant. Cheryl has a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Southeastern University in Washington, DC and over 30 years of accounting and management experience.

JANIE KENNEDY

Finance
Janie’s career has focused on various aspects of financial analysis for both non-profit and for-profit companies in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and North Carolina. Janie spent four and a half years working for Wake Health Community Health Center (Raleigh, NC) as a Senior Accountant in both full-time and contract roles. She began working for LKA in June 2010. She currently assists the finance team with various responsibilities, including financial analysis and budgets.

ANA ORELLANA, PHARMD

Research Consultant
Ana is a Clinical Pharmacist at Moore Regional Hospital in Pinehurst, NC. She graduated from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy at Chapel Hill in May, 2010. Ana has over 8 years of experience in health services research with primary interests in community health, geriatrics, and minority health. She has managed multiple research projects while working at the Cecil G Sheps Center for Health Services Research. She has volunteered with the UNC Center for Latino Health (CELAH).

PETER BAUMGARTEN

Systems Designer/Finance
Excel data zen master and technical writer for the team, Peter attained a degree in business and computer science and has spent much of his career at the juncture of the two, working as an intermediary between technical personnel and business professionals. He has worked with software developers to help them “think like the user,” addressing ease-of-use concerns to successfully create an engaging and rewarding user experience.

LEIGH STANTON

Research Manager/Lead Writer
Leigh Stanton has more than twenty years experience as a grant writer, having written, edited and prepared competitive federal and private funding applications for numerous health organizations. Prior to this, she served in administrative positions in community health/human service organizations and earned a Master’s degree in Education at the University of South Carolina. Leigh resides in Upstate South Carolina.

ANGIE MILLER

Data Entry
Angie graduated from Appalachian State University with a BS/BA, double majoring in Marketing and Management. Most of her work experience over the past 20 years has been in the areas of customer service, human resources, accounting, and purchasing. Angie has worked for a home care agency as a staff supervisor responsible for recruiting and hiring nurses, and staffing cases. She currently works for a children’s clothing company in customer support.

KATHY MCLENDON

Editor/Team Writer/Healthcare Environmental Specialist
Kathy brings to the team over 18 years of experience in community health care, including having served as Deputy Director of the Tennessee Primary Care Association (TPCA). During her thirteen years with TPCA, the organization expanded its funding portfolio to include Bureau of Primary Health Care grant-funded programs, federal contracts, state contracts, and private foundation grants.

KELLY BENNING

Editor/Team Writer
As an undergraduate at Furman University in Greenville, SC, Kelly began her professional writing career contributing articles to the Greenville Magazine. After graduating with Cum Laude honors in 2001, she accepted a position as District Executive for a co-ed character education and school to careers program of the Boy Scouts. It was in this position that she secured her first grant. She has worked with LKA since 2009, with a focus on competitive grant applications, program design, and strategic planning. Areas of interest include HIV/AIDS, reproductive and maternal health, and behavioral health.

YOUJIE HUANG, MD, MPH, DRPH

Research and Evaluation Specialist
Youjie brings expertise in epidemiology and evaluation to this team. He is the State Chronic Disease Epidemiologist with Florida Department of Health. He has 20 years experience in epidemiologic research at universities and governmental agencies in South Carolina and Florida. His research areas include health care delivery for underserved populations, chronic disease, clinical outcomes, and environmental exposure related health conditions.

ALIANOR TRUE

Data Team
Alianor graduated from Cornell University in 1997 with a BA in Science and Technology Studies, followed by a MS in Science Education from the University of Michigan in 2001. Previous career experience includes over a decade of firefighting and prescribed fire experience throughout the western US, including community based organizing and wildfire prevention/disaster preparedness work closely integrated with grant funded projects.

JOHN SPURRIER

Writer
John is a graduate of Appalachian State University with a BS in Finance. He went on to work as an Editor in the publishing division of Moody’s Investors Service, gaining experience in hospital and healthcare funding. Based in Charlotte, NC, where he also works as a professional musician, John has been a member of the LKA team as a writer since 2014.

LAUREN KAYLER, BSN, RN, RNC-OB

Data Specialist/Writer/Editor
Lauren graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with highest honors from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing from UNC Chapel Hill in 2012. She began her nursing career at Duke University Hospital in Labor and Delivery, where her passion to advocate for low income and migrant women and children was born. After the birth of her own lovely sons, Lauren is thrilled by the opportunity to use her nursing background to write for Community Health Centers. She now lives in Asheville, NC with her husband, two sons, and two brilliant dogs.