This article appeared in the South Florida Business Journal on April 8, 2022.

Danita DeHaney Nias

President and CEO, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties

West Palm Beach

Nias joined the foundation in her current role in 2021. Founded in 1972, it has awarded more than $200 million in grants and academic scholarships.

Birthplace: Fort Lee, Virginia

Education: Bachelor’s degree, personnel and labor relations, University of Maryland; M.S., international relations, Syracuse University; Ph.D. studies, Florida Atlantic University

Lasting lesson from the pandemic: When our community began to struggle, our donors rallied and the foundation raised $3.9 million in emergency response funds.

One act that would transform giving: Approaching giving – regardless of size – as a long-term investment, rather than a short-term Band-Aid

To unwind, I: Play tennis with my family, and take trips to the dog beach with our two Labrador retrievers