NLCU: Managing Federal Awards in a Shifting Regulatory Landscape

The National League of Cities University (NLCU) Grant Implementation is a five-part virtual series designed to walk city staff through the full lifecycle of managing a federal award.

The series opens by turning a new award into an action plan, then moves into award terms and financial management, compliance with federal infrastructure requirements, reporting and oversight, and closes with an evaluation of outcomes and communication of results to stakeholders.

The timing is notable this year: OMB published a sweeping proposed rewrite of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) on May 29, 2026, targeting an October 1, 2026, effective date, immediately upon conclusion of the series.

The proposed revisions would elevate the Uniform Guidance into binding regulation (Uniform Regulation), broaden agencies’ ability to terminate awards for convenience, add a new political pre-issuance review for discretionary awards, and tighten financial and audit-related requirements, changes that touch nearly every session in the series, from getting started through reporting and oversight. With the comment period already closed and a final rule possibly set to take effect close to the effective date, cities attending this forum will be well positioned to understand how the new rules apply to awards and amendments going forward.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, registrants will have learned how to:

• Strengthen internal compliance and communication practices. strategy, or implementation roadmap tailored to their organization’s needs and capacity.

• Manage the full lifecycle of a federal award.

• Anticipate and prepare for the pending 2 CFR 200/Uniform Guidance revisions.

Course Instructors

Jason Mistlebaurer

With over 25 years of experience in public, non-profit, and philanthropic sectors, Jason is a seasoned leader in grants management, program development, and community engagement. Currently serving as a Government Advisory Services Director at Witt O’Brien’s, he oversees pre-award grant management services and leads a team of 5. His career includes senior roles in Arizona’s Governor’s Office, where he managed billions in federal funding, and in statewide grants administration, where he co-authored the Arizona Grants Management Manual and implemented eCivis (Euna Grants) across the State of Arizona government complex. A strong communicator and collaborator, he is dedicated to building efficient systems and empowering organizations to achieve their strategic goals.

With over 25 years of experience across public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, Jason is a seasoned grants management and program development leader. As a Government Advisory Services Director at Witt O’Brien’s, he oversees pre-award grant services and leads a five-person team. Previously, he held senior roles in Arizona’s Governor’s Office and statewide grants administration, managing billions in federal funds, co-authoring the Arizona Grants Management Manual, and implementing Euna Grants (eCivis) statewide.

Meagan Butler

Megan Butler is a passionate public sector advocate, focusing on adaptive leadership, theory implementation, change management, and evidence-based interventions. Her work on social capital initiatives and bureaucratic accountability has been recognized by the National Civic League and by The New School’s study “Advancing Equity with the American Rescue Plan Act’s Local Recovery Funds.” Her expertise is sought nationally, most recently for the National League of Cities Local Infrastructure Hub’s two 2025 Grant Implementation Bootcamp series.