Grant Writing & Strategic Planning
for School Districts and Higher Education Institutions

About Gaston-Shaffer

Gaston-Shaffer LLC is the integrated consulting team from two Virginia-based firms: Gaston Educational Consulting and Shaffer Evaluation Group. Gaston-Shaffer offers to school districts and higher education institutions comprehensive grant writing and strategic planning services, including community stakeholder consultation, planning facilitation, and performance measurement planning.

About Our Services

Our Services

Grant Writing

Our firm’s approach to the grant writing process is inclusive and builds on the strengths of the community to assess, research, develop, facilitate, write, refine, and submit local, state, and federal grant applications that support the vision of your district or institution.

Strategic Planning

Gaston-Shaffer offers to school districts and higher education institutions community-driven strategic planning services, including community stakeholder consultation, planning facilitation, and performance measurement planning.

Meet the Team

Chief Executive Officer & Consultant

Patricia Moore Shaffer, Ph.D.

Patricia Moore Shaffer brings experience in research, evaluation, and performance measurement of educational leadership, curriculum, and career and workforce development initiatives. Dr. Shaffer has facilitated strategic and program planning in school districts, higher education institutions, nonprofit organizations and workforce development boards, and federal government agencies. She is the former Grant & Policy Writer of Hampton City Schools (VA), Vice President of the Educational Policy Institute, and Evaluation Manager of NASA’s Office of Education. She earned a Master of Arts in Curriculum Studies at the University of Toronto and a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership at The College of William and Mary.

Chief Operating Officer & Project Manager

David Gaston, Ed.D.

David Gaston specializes in leadership training and coaching, organizational development, strategic planning, restructuring systems improvement and turnaround work, curriculum and development and board/leadership relations training. Dr. Gaston served as a classroom teacher, elementary, middle, and high school assistant principal and principal and central office administrator prior to being named Division Superintendent for Charles City Public Schools (VA), where he served in this capacity until his retirement in June 30, 2020. Gaston earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government/History, a Master of Arts in Secondary School Instruction, and an Ed.D. in Educational Policy, Planning and Leadership from The College of William and Mary.