Meet Katarina Spears

Katarina Spears brings a unique blend of creativity, dedication, and expertise to her role as Director of Grants Management at Reynolds Community College. With a career devoted to supporting educational nonprofits like museums and libraries, Katarina is also an accomplished author of four novels for young adults published by St. Martin's Griffin and Wednesday Books, imprints of Macmillan Publishers.

Her journey from being a Virginia Community College System (VCCS) alum to leading grants initiatives at Reynolds reflects her commitment to the transformative power of education. Beyond her professional achievements, Katarina’s life is enriched by her passion for writing, her love for her family, and her belief in the mission of community colleges to change lives.

Where were you born and where do you live now?
I was born in Linkoping, Sweden. I live in Northside Richmond now, but I’ve lived many other places in between.

When did you join Reynolds and what made you want to join Reynolds Community College?
I’m a proud VCCS alum! I owe my educational attainment to the start I got in a community college. I do my best work if I’m passionate about an organizational mission and even though I just started at Reynolds in October 2024, I’m inspired by the work that the college does.

What is your role at Reynolds and what do you do on a typical day?
I’m the Director of Grants Management and I oversee some compliance and tracking for the federal and state grants that have been awarded to the college. Beyond that, I do a lot of research. To write compelling grants, I need to be familiar with not just the program for which we are seeking support, but the industry trends, standards and best practices, and current peer-reviewed literature related to the program as well. I also do a lot of writing and editing and searching for grant opportunities that match program needs for the college.

What do you do in your spare time?
I suppose my free time looks a bit like a busman’s holiday because I do a lot of writing. I’m an author with several novels published by imprints of Macmillan. I got my start in publishing writing young adult novels but these days I’ve been working on a novel for an adult audience.

Other than that, I have three adorable teenage kids, so I spend much of my free time doing laundry, waiting to get into the bathroom, fixing sandwiches, or complaining loudly that I’m not fully appreciated by aforementioned adorable teenagers.