Hanna Skandera

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.

Founded by cable pioneer Bill Daniels, the Daniels Fund transforms communities through grantmaking and college scholarships in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. Its mission is rooted in Bill Daniels’ own life story, vision, and values and its work is centered on developing contributing citizens, enhancing quality of life, driving upward mobility, and promoting the free market. In 2021, the Daniels Fund celebrated giving away $1 billion since 2000.

Nationally recognized for her expertise in education, with significant improvements in student achievement, she previously served as secretary of education for New Mexico under Governor Susana Martinez. Prior to serving as secretary of education, she also was undersecretary for California Governor Schwarzenegger, deputy commissioner for Florida Governor Jeb Bush and deputy chief of staff and senior policy advisor for the U. S. Department of Education.

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. She has been recognized by Pepperdine as both a Distinguished Alumni and an Outstanding Woman in Leadership.

Hanna currently serves on the boards of Academic Partnerships, Daniels Fund, Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Newsela, and Philanthropy Roundtable.