Natasha Nau
DERBY — Natasha Nau has secured more than $43 million in grant money over the last decade for various local, state and government entities, and now she’s working for the City of Derby.
Nau is a Seymour resident who owns RightNau Consulting, LLC. She was hired in October as Derby’s grant-writing consultant. The job is part time, and pays up to $20,000, according to Walt Mayhew, Mayor Rich Dziekan’s chief of staff.
A copy of Nau’s consulting agreement with the City of Derby is embedded below.
Nau recently finished writing two substantial grant applications of nearly $10 million that could benefit Derby.
The position the Board of Aldermen/Alderwomen approved last October goes through the end of the upcoming fiscal year on June 30. Mayhew said he expects the mayor to recommend her contract be extended.
Unlike Ansonia and Seymour, the city hasn’t had a person concentrating on finding grants for a long time. Grants are critical to Derby because it is an economically-distressed city.
Mayhew said going with a consultant, as opposed to hiring a full-time grant writer, was a more cost-effective option. He said a full-time position could cost $85,000 year or more. He said the administration has been researching and exploring the possibility of adding a part-time grant writer for more than a year, and it was one of the recommendations of the Municipal Financial Advisory Commission (MFAC), a state commission of municipal finance experts keeping an eye on Derby’s books, to some extent.
Nau also works as the finance manager for the Town of Beacon Falls. She started her own consulting business in 2019, where she does grant writing, budgeting, accounting, website design and more. She previously served as the Town of Columbia’s town administrator and finance/human resources director for London Grove Township in Pennsylvania.
Nau holds degrees and certificates in public administration and accounting from the University of Delaware.
Her grant portfolio over the past decade includes securing more than $20 million for the Philadelphia Fire Department. Closer to home, Nau helped land Beacon Falls more than $1 million in STEAP and CT Connectivity grants for road rehabilitation projects.
She’s also secured more than $53,000 in Katharine Matthies Foundation grants for various Valley playgrounds, senior center computers and town park upgrades.
Coming onboard as Derby’s grant writer is something Nau is excited to be doing.
“When the city solicited me to provide on-call grant writing services, I was very excited to become part of this transformation,” Nau said. “I hope to garner as much funding as possible for the City of Derby to enrich the lives of its residents and enable it to become a destination for visitors. Grant writing gives me great joy because the results are tangible and you can see the community enjoying the new or improved assets or services.”
Nau recently finished a $9.7 million grant application through the state’s Department of Economic and Community Development to renovate the nearly 50-year-old municipal parking garage downtown. The parking garage is in terrible shape, and has been for years.
She’s also wrapping up a $340,800 grant through the CT DEEP Recreational Trails Program to repair the pedestrian bridge on the Derby Greenway.
Mayhew said he’s impressed with Nau’s work during the short time she’s been here.
“Her work for Beacon Falls and the Philadelphia Fire Department provided us with the confidence to submit her credentials to the BOAA for a contract of professional services,” Mayhew said. “We are very fortunate to be working in partnership with her. She is continually looking for grant opportunities for the city. She understands Derby. When she thinks there might be a good fit, she emails us. She has been a tremendous blessing.”
