Tom McCauley

Tom McCauley serves as the Grants Manager for the Ponca Economic Development Corporation (PEDCO). With over a decade of experience in grant writing, grantmaking, and grants management, Tom is dedicated to supporting PEDCO’s mission of fostering long-term sufficiency for the citizens of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska. He is focused on creating opportunities that improve the quality of life for all Native Americans, with a strong emphasis on stimulating economic growth and self-sufficiency through business and employment opportunities.

Before joining PEDCO, Tom held various roles, including grant writer for the nonprofit AIM Institute, grants manager for the Nebraska Arts Council, and copywriter at the digital advertising agency Phenomblue. He also taught creative writing and contemporary literature at UMass Amherst and the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and wrote grants and speeches for the City of Omaha Mayor’s Office.

In addition to his career in the nonprofit and government sectors, Tom is an accomplished writer and musician. His work has been featured in prominent literary journals, and he is a Pushcart Prize-nominated author. His essay, “Introductory Element Comma Independent Clause: a Study of the Moon and Bees,” received an honorable mention in The Best American Essays 2021 anthology. Tom is also a recipient of the 2018 Joseph Langland Prize from the Academy of American Poets for his poem “People Are Not Lights.” He holds an MFA in writing from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.