Mayor Owens Appoints Jill Ferguson to Director of Neighborhood Grants

Mayor Owens Appoints Jill Ferguson to Director of Neighborhood Grants

Published on November 10, 2026

Syracuse, N.Y. - Syracuse Mayor Sharon F. Owens announced the appointment of Jill Ferguson to Director of Neighborhood Grants in the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD). Ferguson is responsible for providing leadership and strategic oversight of the department's diverse portfolio of federal, state, and local grants aimed at supporting safe, quality affordable housing and advancing neighborhood development goals. She will also work to ensure grant strategies and programs align with the City's priorities for neighborhood and economic development and inclusive growth.

Ferguson has 25 years of experience in strategic planning, organizational development, grant-funded programs, and community-engaged work. She comes to City government from Syracuse University, where she served for six years as Director of Research Development for the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs followed by two years as Director of Research Services in the Office of Research. She began her career in grants administration at the University of Missouri and, prior to that, spent a decade in academic publishing.

Ferguson received her Master of Public Affairs in Public Policy from the University of Missouri and her Bachelor of Arts with Honors in English, Philosophy, and Global Studies from Drury University. She has also served as an adjunct professor in the Maxwell School's Public Administration and International Affairs Department, where she designed and taught a service-learning course, Grant Writing for Nonprofits. She serves on the boards of REACH CNY and the Westcott Area Cultural Coalition.

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