Yuliya Rzad, MPA

Yuliya Rzad, MPA, is a transformative executive with over 20 years of experience leading complex grant management, financial oversight, and operational initiatives across nonprofit and governmental sectors. As Chief Grants Officer at Target ALS Foundation, she oversees a $20M annual grantmaking portfolio, architecting end-to-end grant strategies, optimizing multi-department budgets, and implementing enterprise-wide grant administration systems that ensure compliance, efficiency, and measurable impact. She is recognized for translating highly technical, specialized programs into scalable operations while aligning diverse teams to mission-critical objectives.

Prior to Target ALS, Yuliya served as Acting Director of FEMA’s Region 9 Grants Management Division, managing $2B+ in federal grant programs. She led three branches, implemented human capital strategies, strengthened internal controls, and institutionalized training programs that elevated compliance and operational performance across the region. Her leadership consistently drove accelerated grant closeouts, improved audit readiness, and increased organizational capacity while maintaining fiscal discipline under intense regulatory scrutiny.

Earlier, Yuliya built national financial empowerment programs at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, leading cross-functional teams, managing multimillion-dollar budgets, and expanding services to low-income communities. She also directed nationwide policy, training, and compliance operations at the Administration for Children and Families, designing outcome-based frameworks that enhanced program integrity and efficiency. Known for her ability to integrate technical detail with strategic vision, Yuliya is equally adept at negotiating international partnerships, mentoring high-performing teams, and driving transformative organizational change.

Yuliya is a hands-on operational leader who blends meticulous process orientation with strategic vision. She approaches challenges with data-driven analysis, flowchart-style problem-solving, and an unwavering focus on long-term outcomes. Empathetic and people-focused, she mentors teams to excel in complex, highly regulated environments while fostering accountability, trust, and collaboration.

Outside of her professional work, Yuliya is deeply committed to community service and mentorship, volunteering with local nonprofits, leading Saturday morning neighborhood cleanups, and serving on the board of Fred Finch Youth & Family Services. An immigrant who came to the US as a child, she is driven by a desire to make a meaningful societal impact while nurturing the growth of others. She balances her professional rigor with personal passions, including reading, yoga, and family life, embodying a leadership style that is both disciplined and human-centered.