Instead of costing Pelham taxpayers, one new municipal position is definitely making a mark and people are starting to notice. In fact, Brilee Sears, grant specialist for the Town of Pelham, has been named as one of Niagara's 40 Under 40.
Sears, born in a small town in rural Pennsylvania called York Springs, admits she never expected to find herself in such a role.
Educated with a degree in journalism from Emerson College in Boston, she said she didn't expect to find herself in Canada either – but she fell in love.
Sears met her future husband, Nathan, met when they were in high school through a youth exchange program in Europe, then kind of lost contact for a few years.
“Eventually we reconnected after I graduated from high school and he graduated from high school here, started talking and just reconnecting in a way that we're like: 'All right, we'll give it one shot and if we date, and it doesn't work out, I never have to see you again because you're in another country,'” she said.
It did work. They were married in 2021 and Sears began the process of working on her Canadian permanent residency application soon after. Next year, she hopes to apply for her Canadian citizenship.
The couple are currently setting their roots in Niagara but have also perfected the six-hour trip south to see family.
“I've been here just over two years now, stayed in the Niagara region that whole time and we really like it,” she said. “I grew up in a super rural area in Pennsylvania, so I find that the Niagara region is a nice mix of kind of the rural that I grew up with, but some of the city and ease of access that I had when I lived in Boston because I loved living there as well.”
“I always said when I got into journalism that my goal was to write good things that help people, like that's kind of my mantra and my approach and I think that grant writing is really just a different application of that set of skills.”
Sears said the grant writing position is new role that was introduced last year and she is the first person to hold it.
“The position is really about finding ways to save the municipal taxpayer and the corporation money by applying for, and ideally receiving, grant funding for different projects.”
On an average day, she could be applying for a grant to support recreational spaces, or Pelham Summerfest or a grant to support the building of infrastructure, wastewater, roads, sidewalks.
“All the things that really make the municipality function,” she said.
“Last year they submitted $25 million worth of grant applications and we're on track to beat that in 2024 with the applications we've done thus far,” said Sears.
She also helps different community groups and organizations with grants as well, helping them in submitting their own applications, reviewing applications, or just passing along applications that the Town doesn't qualify for but a non-profit does.
“I'm not just giving back to the residents, but I'm giving back to the organizations that give back to the residents as well, which has been really delightful,” said Sears. “I'm really fortunate that I get to work with all these great organizations and support their efforts.”
“'I'm really fortunate and honoured to get to work in such a wonderful municipality,” she said. “Like the capacity of this municipality and this town and its residents to do wonderful things, larger than I'd ever imagined they'd be capable of doing, and do it so well on a consistent basis.”
