top of page

Joel Wood

Grants & Business Development Manager

Experience

Joel brings more than 14 years of grant and funding experience to AES Northeast, with a documented record of securing funding across the municipal, nonprofit, manufacturing, and education sectors. He manages the full funding lifecycle - from identifying the right grant and low-interest loan opportunities, through application development and submission, to grant administration, compliance, and project closeout. Joel is well-versed in the intricacies of federal and state funding requirements, including federal Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), Build America Buy America, Davis-Bacon prevailing wage, and MWBE/SDVOB/DBE participation. His deep familiarity with the Upstate New York, Vermont, and Northern New England economic development landscape - built through prior leadership roles at the North Country Chamber of Commerce, a congressional office, and his own grant consulting practice - allows him to position client projects competitively across a variety of funding programs.


Funding Program Knowledge

Federal

  • USDA Rural Development (grants & low-interest loans)

  • EDA (Economic Development Administration)

  • NBRC (Northern Border Regional Commission)

  • EPA Water Infrastructure programs

  • Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) / SAFER

  • Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS)


New York State

  • DWSRF / CWSRF / WIIA (Clean/Drinking Water programs)

  • Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC)

  • Empire State Development (ESD) programs

  • NYS Homes & Community Renewal (HCR)

  • Community Development Block Grants (CDBG)

  • NYS Consolidated Funding Application (CFA)

  • NYS Department of State Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP)

  • NY Forward / Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI)

  • Restore NY

  • NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation (OPRHP)

  • NYSERDA (energy & clean energy programs)

  • DASNY (Dormitory Authority of the State of New York)

  • NYS SWIMS/NYS PLAYS

  • NYS Office of Strategic Workforce Development

  • NYS DOH Bureau of Water Supply funding

  • North Country Regional Economic Development Council (REDC)

  • Member/Legislative Items (State & local discretionary appropriations)

 

Regional, Utility & Local

  • County IDA & economic development funding/incentives

  • NYSEG Economic Development programs

  • NYS Hazard Abatement Board safety training grants (NYS DOL)

  • Foundation & private grant opportunities

 

Software & Systems Proficiencies

  • Grants.gov/SAM.gov

  • NYS Statewide Financial System (SFS)

  • NYS Charities Bureau

  • GrantsWatch

  • State Specific Agency Grants Portals

  • Ajera Deltek

  • Smartsheets

  • Microsoft Office / Google Workspace


Representative Experience

AES Northeast

Municipal & Public Infrastructure

  • Town of Beekmantown – EPA drinking water grant administration (CDS), WIIA/DWSRF funding

  • Town of Champlain – Multi-project municipal grant funding strategy

  • Town of Keene – Community Center Funding

  • Town of Peru – Sewer collection system improvements, Phase 2 funding strategy

Community & Nonprofit

  • YMCA Wellness Center Redevelopment – Grant administration across DASNY, NYS Swims, and USDA/NBRC funding

 

Prior Sector Experience (pre-AES)


Joel's funding experience spans workforce development, recreation, accessibility, human services, workforce safety, manufacturing, and education.

  • Wrote and secured a $285,600 Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) grant for welder workforce training, plus an additional $150,000 in NYS Office of Strategic Workforce Development funding to support the program

  • Secured ~$75,000 for the Chazy Youth Hockey rink renovation project

  • Secured ~$50,000 in NYS Hazard Abatement Board funding for safety training for Local 1 Elevator Constructors Union

  • Secured ~$21,000 for a local for-profit campground for an ADA accessibility project

  • Secured ~$20,000 for a local autism support organization for working capital and programming

  • Secured ~$10,000 for Plattsburgh Youth Hockey for equipment, supplies, and programming

  • Millions in manufacturing & workforce development funding through the North Country Chamber of Commerce and NAmTrans (transportation/aerospace manufacturers)

  • Federal grants program administration and constituent casework in a congressional office

  • Education-sector grant consulting for technical college, K-12, and community college clients

 

 


 

bottom of page