Staff Members

Nina joined the Foundation as Executive Vice President in 2001 and was promoted to President in 2005. Under her leadership, Foundation assets have quadrupled grown from less than $60 million in 2002 to more than $600 million in 2021, and annual grants to the community have grown from $9 million in 2002 to more than $43 million in 2021. She currently serves on the Jacksonville Civic Council, Jacksonville University’s Board of Trustees and Jacksonville University Public Policy Institute’s Board of Advisors, and has chaired the boards of both the Southeastern Council of Foundations (now Philanthropy Southeast) and Community Foundations of Florida. Complete biography for Nina Waters

Grace joined the Foundation in 2004 with 11 years combined public accounting experience primarily in tax, small business and nonprofit accounting and 10 years experience with a family office in Jacksonville. She has responsibility for oversight of invested assets, and for all matters related to operations and finance of the Foundation.

Latrice joined the Foundation in 2014, as Administrative Assistant for Finance and Administration and was promoted to Office Manager in 2020. In 2022, she was promoted to Executive Assistant to the Office of the President. She is the primary support for Foundation President Nina Waters, as well as the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. Latrice also assists the Foundation’s Vice President of Civic Leadership, Wanda Willis in her work, serving as a key liaison for initiatives such as the LGBTQ Community Fund for Northeast Florida and the A.L. Lewis Black Opportunity & Impact Fund. Latrice has more than 35 years of experience in organizational management in the non-profit sector. Since joining the Foundation, Latrice has consistently used her experience and talents to facilitate organizational effectiveness and efficiency. Latrice earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Organizational Management from Edward Waters College.

John joined the Foundation in 1998. After leading the Grantmaking department for seven years, he transitioned to Donor Services/Development in 2005. John helps individuals and families develop their philanthropic plans and works with professional advisors to advance their clients’ charitable and philanthropic goals.

Tom joined The Community Foundation in 2021, bringing a decade of donor experience and nonprofit leadership to the Donor Services Team. He is passionate about supporting TCF fund holders identify their philanthropic vision and is eager to support you in building your giving plans.

Kacie Smyth joined the Foundation in 2021 as Director of the Women’s Giving Alliance (WGA). Kacie serves as liaison between TCF and WGA, a collective giving circle devoted to improving the lives of women and girls in NE Florida. She is responsible for day-to-day administration of WGA in close collaboration with WGA's member-elected volunteer leadership team.

Carol joined the Foundation in 2005 and has more than 25 years experience in the local nonprofit sector. She oversees the scholarship and designated fund portfolios.

Kathleen oversees The Community Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking. She joined the Foundation in 2002 and became Vice President, Programs in 2011. She has worked in our local nonprofit community for more than 25 years and is an alumna of the Southeastern Council on Foundation’s Hull Fellows Program for emerging leaders in Philanthropy.

Wanda recently joined the Community Foundation in April 2022 with a longstanding career in community leadership and development. She will oversee key strategic community engagement efforts and serve as a convener and a catalyst on community issues to enhance the Foundation’s impact in the communities it serves.

Amy joined The Community Foundation in 2013, bringing more than 25 years experience in nonprofit arts management to the program team. In addition to managing TCF's arts and cultural portfolio, Amy supports grantmaking in mental health, capacity building, neighborhoods and other areas.

James joined The Community Foundation in 2019. He handles community grantmaking in a variety of areas including the Supporting Neighborhoods initiative. James is also the program lead on the TCF Local Capital Pool, an impact fund focused on improving access to affordable housing and equitably expanding economic opportunity for marginalized residents of Northeast Florida. James has 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector focusing on comprehensive community development, affordable housing, and building the capacity of non-profit organizations.

Janet joined The Community Foundation Programs Team in 2020 after serving with the Finance Team since 2016. She is the initial point of contact for discretionary grantmaking and manages a diverse portfolio of grants. She came to the Foundation with six years in educational non-profit management experience and 11 years of public healthcare finance experience with the Massachusetts Executive office of Health and Human Services in Boston.

Reagan joined The Community Foundation in 2021 and handles a variety of administrative and grantmaking tasks for the Programs team. She has an educational background in political science, with interests in public administration and social welfare. Reagan recently completed her Master of Public Administration at the University of North Florida, with a focus on non-profit management and public policy.

Erin joined The Community Foundation in 2015 following 11 years at Wells Fargo, including 9 as an investment manager. At TCF, Erin is responsible for cash management and monitoring investment results. Erin is also a primary liaison with the Foundation’s investment advisors.

Amber joined The Community Foundation in 2014 as a member of the Finance Team. Through her previous positions at Goodwill Industries and Jacksonville Public Education Fund, she has more than 12 years experience in non-profit human resources and financial accounting. Amber is responsible for managing the accounting and reporting for donor funds, as well as human resources.

Yan joined The Community Foundation in 2007 and is responsible for operations, financial reporting, and tax compliance. She is a CPA with international credentials and more than 10 years professional experience in public accounting, corporate and the nonprofit sector. Yan is responsible for operations, financial reporting, and tax compliance.

Tyson joined The Community Foundation in 2021, bringing 20 years of experience in information systems for nonprofits to the team. He has primary responsibility for implementing technology strategy, overseeing technology infrastructure, and supporting technology needs of staff.

Paula joined The Community Foundation in 2022 and has more than 20 years of accounting experience working with corporate and nonprofit organizations. Paula is responsible for processing and reporting on incoming contributions and reporting of invested assets of the Foundation.

Brandon joined The Community Foundation in 2020 and oversees the processing of all donor advised grants. Brandon has more than 15 years of mortgage and banking experience. Before joining TCF, Brandon worked for a diverse range of organizations, including small business startups, Fortune 500 corporations, private sector, non-profits and government agencies.

Lijanda joined the Foundation in 2022 after more than 11 years as an administrative assistant. She represents the Foundation as the receptionist, and has various office and bank duties. She supports the entire Finance Team, including the Executive Vice President and CFO. Lijanda holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

Susan joined The Community Foundation in 2013 and handles our communications and marketing. She has more than 20 years experience in corporate communications and investor relations for publicly-traded companies, and enjoyed an earlier media career in print and broadcast journalism.

Stephanie joined The Community Foundation in 2022 with 15 years of experience in strategic communications, marketing, and journalism. She is passionate about leveraging digital and print media to build understanding of the challenges and opportunities in our local communities and to tell stories of donor and grantee impact.

Katie joined The Community Foundation in 2020. She handles a variety of tasks involving social media, website updates, and digital communications. She was a Social Media Consultant with the Foundation for four years before officially joining the TCF team.