Dr. Armstead has twenty years of experience in social services in government institutions and non-profit organizations. Her doctorate in social relations provided her with the skills and "book knowledge" for working with people in poverty and other historically disadvantaged populations. Understanding the root causes and consequences of poverty and racism led her to leadership positions in Head Start and other anti-poverty programs.Twenty years of experience in the field provides the on-the-ground knowledge for leading organizations dedicated to alleviating poverty. Dr. Armstead has written over ten community needs assessments, over fifteen annual reports, and provided program evaluation for both Head Start and other federally funded programs. Her grant writing experience is extensive and she has led teams to successfully garner grants from $500K (for five years) to $63M (for five years) - including new and expansion grants for Head Start. Most of her experience is with large federal grants, but her experience also includes locally funded projects and community foundations.