WARREN –Trumbull County commissioners have agreed to hire a consulting group to help find grants to pay for current and future projects.

Youngstown-based KO Consulting LLC has been hired to provide general consulting / government affairs, strategic planning and monthly grant and proposal development for the county.

Kristen Olmi, CEO of KO Consulting, which began in 2014, said her company’s role will be to help county departments obtain additional grant dollars.

“We don’t go after any funds that Trumbull County is already receiving,” she said. “These will be all new dollars.”

Olmi described herself as being a professional grant writer for more than 20 years. In addition to her company, Olmi formerly worked as a grant writer for Mahoning County’s sanitary engineering department.

KO Consulting has a 12-member staff. It will begin working immediately.

“This will enable our county to enjoy millions of dollars of grant monies we previously had not obtained,” Commissioner Rick Hernandez said.

Commissioner Denny Malloy noted there are about 40 counties in Ohio that have grant consultants / lobbyists assisting commissioners in obtaining state and federal grants.

“When we looked at just last year’s senate bill, the counties that had lobbyists and grant writers got the most money out of the Ohio state Senate,” Malloy said. “We would be remiss if we did not have someone fighting for us, not only in Columbus, but Kristen’s organization, KO, also has an outreach office in Washington, D.C., now.

“So we feel that some of the federal money we asked for, they will lobby for us. The small investment we have now will bring back many, many times the investment.”

A representative of KO Consulting will be traveling with Malloy during next week’s Washington, D.C. Fly-In.

Commissioner Tony Bernard said once the county has established its objectives, KO will be able to help Trumbull’s townships secure funds.

Hernandez emphasized KO’s work will be complementary to efforts already being done by the county’s planning commission, sanitary engineer and other offices already pursuing grants.

“It is another tool in the toolbox,” Malloy

said.