Staff: Abby Mackness

Abby Mackness brings decades of leadership, strategy, and proposal development expertise to Sounding Joy as our Grant Writer. With a passion for mission-driven work and a track record of success in both government and private sectors, Abby helps us secure critical funding to expand our impact and reach more families in need.

Abby is President and CEO of Mackness and Poore Consulting, a woman- and veteran-owned firm specializing in capture, proposal, and program management. She holds a PMP certification from the Project Management Institute and is a certified Lockheed Martin Capture Manager. Her impressive career includes senior leadership roles at MorphoTrust USA, MorphoTrak, and Lockheed Martin—where she led advanced biometrics programs and served as capture manager on major initiatives, including the FBI’s $1 billion Next Generation IAFIS program.

In addition to her consulting work, Abby teaches the Grant Writing Certification program at the Tampa Bay Nonprofit Leadership Center and serves as a coach for the University of Tampa’s MBA program, sharing her expertise with the next generation of nonprofit leaders and business professionals.

She has also served on the Board of Directors for Girl Scouts of West Central Florida and is deeply committed to empowering future generations. Abby holds a Master’s in Computer Science from The George Washington University and a Juris Doctorate from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. She thrives at the intersection of innovation, purpose, and precision, making her an invaluable part of our mission to help more children hear, thrive, and shine.