Aleena Blankenship

Aleena came to GMRI in April of 2022 where she collaborates with the Finance and Administration team to steward funding awards to the best possible extent, primarily working on the post-award side of the grants process, drawing money from various sources and providing internal and external financial reports as needed.

After graduating from Brunswick High School, Aleena took a gap year to participate in an AmeriCorps program called City Year New York in New York City. Post gap year, she attended and graduated with a BA from Clark University in Worcester, MA with a major in Management and a minor in Music, where she played the cello.

Prior to GMRI, Aleena was the Financial Coordinator at Gateway Community Services Maine, a sub-recipient of GMRI and NASA’s Real World Real Science award and before that, worked at Portland-based fundraising consulting firm, Demont & Associates.

The #1 talent that Aleena brings to GMRI is her love of learning and curiosity; which helps to make her a good accountant in addition to her interest in building community in all aspects of her life; a shared value with GMRI. She is also not afraid to tell you that she loves pugs!