Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne appoints Brad Little as president and CEO
(Fort Wayne, Indiana) The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne is pleased to announce that Brad Little has been elected as the new President and Chief Executive Officer. Little will assume that role beginning January 8, 2018. He was selected from a national search after the current Executive Director, David Bennett, announced his plans to retire in December of 2017 after 22 years of service.
Little has extensive experience with community leadership and cross-sector collaboration. He currently serves as the President and CEO of the Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation, a private foundation located in southeast Iowa. During his time there he has worked diligently to use collective impact modeling to build coalitions that address the greatest needs in the region. Prior to that, Brad served as the President of the Legacy Fund, an affiliate of the Central Indiana Community Foundation which serves Hamilton County.
“Brad was selected from an extremely talented pool of candidates because of his significant experience with community leadership, strategic planning, and collective impact models,” said Shannon Hardiek, Board President for the Community Foundation. “He is a creative problem- solver and a respected leader who we are confident will move the community foundation toward continued growth.”
“I look forward to meeting the Fort Wayne Community, listening, and learning a lot,” said Little. “Listening to donors, community leaders, board, and staff to understand what the greatest needs are in the community. Through listening, convening and collaborating, we will not only continue the great work accomplished under David Bennett’s leadership, but also use that as a springboard. There’s a significant opportunity to grow the community foundation’s role as a philanthropic leader, I want to elevate our ability to address community needs and work collectively to create even greater positive impact.”
A native Hoosier, Little is a graduate of Ball State University and earned his MBA from Butler University. Little’s career experience includes a variety of non-profit and for-profit endeavors including private foundations, community foundations and corporate environments.
Established in 1922, the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne is a public, charitable foundation serving Allen County for ninety-three years. The Community Foundation had assets of approximately $142 million at December 31, 2016 and awarded more than $10.2 million in charitable grants and scholarships in that year. The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne exists to serve as a community leader to improve the quality of life by building permanent endowments, promoting effective grantmaking, fostering philanthropy, stimulating community dialogue, and helping donors achieve their charitable goals