Melissa Vermillion has been a grant writer for Hazard Community and Technical College for 12 years and has been teaching grant writing since 2016. She is one of only 13 individuals in Kentucky who have earned the Grant Professional Certification through the Grant Professionals Certification Institute and the first within KCTCS.  

Melissa currently mentors grant professionals at five KCTCS colleges: Ashland, Maysville, Big Sandy, Southeast, and Gateway. Prior to joining the college, she served as the director for aging programs in Perry County where she was also successful in a variety of grant and fundraising opportunities, tripling the amount of donations to the program over her tenure. Melissa has a bachelor degree in business administration and an MBA from Morehead State University. She has been married to Kevin Vermillion for 34 years and has two adult children, Rebekah and Alex.

Hannah Conover is the Executive Director of Grant Ready Kentucky, an organization dedicated to increasing access to grant funding and building capacity for communities across the Commonwealth. She leads efforts to provide training, technical assistance, and strategic support to nonprofits, local governments, and other stakeholders seeking federal, state, and private funding opportunities. With a strong background in grant writing, program development, and community engagement, Hannah is passionate about strengthening Kentucky’s ability to compete for transformative investments. She holds a degree in Public Administration and is committed to fostering collaboration and innovation across the state.

As lead of grant services operations, Connie focuses on delivering strategic support for organizations pursuing federal and other funding opportunities. She oversees grant writing resources, proposal review process, and direct assistance for clients, ensuring high-quality, competitive applications. Her role is dedicated to helping Kentucky’s communities access vital funding to fuel their missions, strengthen local impact, and drive statewide progress.