Shane Kirby serves as the Director for Advancement Partnerships at Columbus State Community College, collaborating with regional and national partners to advance strategic priorities for the college. Shane led the proposal and serves as Senior Advisor for the National IT Innovation Center (NITIC). He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Florida as a double major in Finance and Marketing and earned his MBA with distinction. Since Kirby assumed leadership over the Columbus State grants operation in 2013, he has increased the external funding portfolio from $12m to over $70m in 2023. He and his team has led the development on over 18 funded NSF ATE grant awards. He designed the nationally recognized grants operation and assembled a dynamic team that continues the work today. In addition, he has worked with multiple community college presidents and leadership teams to organize their grant efforts, often resulting in assistance to prepare their first federal proposals. He serves as the Executive Director on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program for Columbus, a business education program to grow and provide access to capital for diverse small businesses in the community. Shane also serves as a mentor for the Pathways to Innovation (PTI) Grant Seeker Academy and FORCEE-ATE programs, and as a partner on the Community College President’s Initiative (CCPI-STEM).