Mar 13, 2024
Hanna Skandera joined the Daniels Fund as a Board member in 2019 and was subsequently selected as president and CEO in 2020 due to her proven track record of transformative leadership and impact in both public and private sector organizations. Hanna is nationally recognized for her expertise in education, with significant improvements in student achievement during her leadership in New Mexico, where she served as secretary of education under Governor Susana Martinez. Hanna has founded multiple education initiatives and leadership programs and has been a visiting professor of Education Policy and Impact at the Pepperdine School of Public Policy, Distinguished Teaching Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School, and a research fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Additionally, Hanna currently serves on the boards of Academic Partnerships, Daniels Fund, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, MGT, Newsela, and Philanthropy Roundtable.
I’m so excited to have Hanna join me on The Wow Factor this week, sharing her journey from secretary of education in New Mexico to President and CEO at The Daniels Fund. She encourages being bold and inspiring generational impact. We discuss why transparency inspires others to be transparent and how Bill Daniels' approach to relationships was rooted in his understanding of the value of sharing oneself to help others. She shares the eight key giving areas of The Daniels Fund and gives an insight into the stories behind them. Hanna also digs into the value of personal relationships, how mentors have helped her move forward in life, and how working with the people around you can help you change and shape the world for generations.
“Everyone is made with a purpose and has the opportunity to give back.” - Hanna Skandera
“When you believe that things are not possible, you'll deliver on that belief. When you believe that they are, you will deliver on that.” - Hanna Skandera
“You are sowing seeds that can last not just for your life, but for lifetimes to come.” - Hanna Skandera
This Week on The Wow Factor:
- How Hanna’s involvement in running a nonprofit in her senior year at school shifted her career trajectory from business to full-time nonprofit work
- Why mentors are so valuable and how her mentor has provided wise advice and guidance throughout her career
- Hanna’s experience of the mentorship program at Stanford University, some of the inspirational leaders she met, and how it led to an invitation to join California Governor Schwarzenegger’s administration
- Why Hanna was so honored to join Governor Martinez as her secretary for education, helping to improve education in the state
- The importance of changing beliefs and mindsets to achieve success, particularly for marginalized communities
- Why we need leaders to challenge existing thought patterns and inspire others to believe in the possibility of change
- Hanna shares her journey with the Daniels Fund, a private charitable foundation dedicated to making life better through its grants program, scholarship program, and ethics initiative.
- How Bill Daniels' legacy lives on through his commitment to giving back to communities and individuals, inspiring others to do the same.
Hanna Skandera’s Words of Wisdom:
Be bold and courageous. You only live once, but live like it lasts for generations to come.
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