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.

Sally joined The Community Foundation in 2019 as the Executive Assistant to Nina Waters. She is responsible for administrative and office support activities for Nina, the Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and the Donor Services leadership team. Prior to joining the Foundation staff, Sally was with the Jacksonville Symphony for 35 years with responsibility for human resources and board support.

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.

Joanne joined the Foundation in 2012 with more than 15 years of experience working with donors to fulfill their philanthropic dreams. Currently she oversees stewardship of our fund holders and implements our philanthropic education initiatives.

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.

Kirsten joined The Community Foundation in 2021 after working in politics for several years. She is responsible for administrative and operative functions within the Donor Services department. Kirsten has a diverse background with experience in grant work, event planning, and political research as well as prior nonprofit experience.

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.

Mark joined The Community Foundation in 2013 and handles grantmaking in several areas including early childhood education, Putnam and St. Johns Counties. He has more than 25 years of experience in serving non-profit, educational, and funding organizations. Mark has specific interests in rural poverty, environment, leadership and development.

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. Currently, Reagan is working towards 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.

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.

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.

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.

Latrice joined the Foundation as Administrative Assistant for Finance and Administration in 2014, with more than 30 years of experience in organizational management in the Non-profit sector. She was promoted to Office Manager in 2020 and is responsible for the organization and co-ordination of office operations, procedures, and resources to facilitate organizational effectiveness and efficiency.

Carol joined the Foundation in 2005 and has more than 25 years experience in the local nonprofit sector. She is responsible for managing the processing, acknowledgement and reporting of all gifts, stock donations and pledged gifts to 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.

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.

Katie joined The Community Foundation in 2020. She was a Social Media Consultant with the Foundation for the previous 4 years.