WASHINGTON – Philanthropy Roundtable elected Hanna Skandera, president and CEO of the Daniels Fund, as the newest member of its board of directors. Skandera brings more than two decades of executive leadership in private, public and nonprofit organizations serving rural, suburban and urban settings to the role.
“Hanna Skandera brings both personal knowledge and a wealth of professional experience about what is truly needed to strengthen our free society through philanthropy,” said Philanthropy Roundtable President and CEO Elise Westhoff. “We’re thrilled that she will be sharing her expertise and time to advance the Roundtable’s mission and help us improve lives through effective charitable giving.”
As head of the Daniels Fund, she carries forward Bill Daniels’ legacy of compassion, integrity and impact by providing grants to nonprofit organizations and college scholarships to deserving students in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. With more than $1.7 billion in assets, the Daniels Fund is one of the Rocky Mountain Region’s largest foundations.
“I’m honored to join Philanthropy Roundtable’s board and support an organization that so closely aligns with the values of the Daniels Fund. I share their commitment to excellence in philanthropy and look forward to playing a role in ensuring that donors are free to give how, when, and where they choose—to the causes and organizations they care about most,” said Skandera. “The Roundtable is the tip of the spear for all those in the philanthropic community who want to advance opportunity for all Americans, and I am eager to help carry the mission forward.”
Skandera has previously served in numerous roles including secretary of education for New Mexico under Gov. Susana Martinez, undersecretary for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, deputy commissioner for Gov. Jeb Bush and deputy chief of staff and senior policy advisor for U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings.
Her past board positions include vice chair of the Colorado Community College Board, Code.org, Uncharted Learning, FullBloom, George W. Bush Center’s Education Advisory, Chiefs for Change, Ridge-Lane Limited Partners’ Board of State Education Chiefs, Harvard Kennedy School’s Mayoral Leadership in Education Network and the Education Policy and Impact Initiative at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy.
Philanthropy Roundtable is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building and sustaining a vibrant American philanthropic movement that strengthens our free society. To achieve this vision, the Roundtable pursues a mission to foster excellence in philanthropy, protect philanthropic freedom and help donors to advance liberty, opportunity and personal responsibility.
