Sarah Peterson has worked as a grant writer, technical writer, editor, and communications designer for more than 20 years. Her expertise is in plain language communications (with a certification in federal plain language standards), inclusive communications design, and technical accessibility.  

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Sarah has been with Gary Bess Associates since 2022 as a grant writer, project manager, and evaluator. She leads GBA’s training and technical assistance projects, designing and delivering GBA’s unique approach to grant writing training that is grounded in organizational capacity development for organizations of all sizes. 

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Sarah’s work history includes 13 years in government contracting, specializing in projects serving Native American Tribal governments, organizations, and communities. She has worked for federal departments such as Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Indian Health Service, SAMHSA, and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Justice, as well as state agencies in Washington, Oregon, and California. Her educational background includes an M.Div., emphasis in writing as ministry, from Earlham School of Religion (Religious Society of Friends/Quakers) and a B.A. from Gonzaga University in political science, with a concentration in women’s studies. She lives and works from Spokane, Washington. ​