Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation Board of Directors Names Brittany Collins as Executive Director
ATLANTA — The Board of Directors of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation has selected Brittany Collins as Executive Director, effective July 11, 2022. She follows founding Executive Director Jackie Stradley, who has led the organization since its inception.
The mission of the Foundation is “to honor Betty and Davis Fitzgerald by making a difference in the lives of others, primarily through education and health care opportunities in Atlanta and Georgia.” The Foundation is nimble and responsive to the community’s urgent needs and its peer philanthropic partners. Its giving is centered in three areas: mental health, student success, and employment success. Funding is balanced between direct service and policy. Policy work focuses on moving upstream to address systemic issues.
With the original focus on education and healthcare, the Board’s continuous learning has led the Foundation to expand to the intersectionality of issues, impact investing and a continued push toward racial equity. As the Founding Executive retires, the Board sought a thought leader able to inform and guide them on new and innovative ways to address systemic issues, while maintaining excellent operations and grant management.
Brittany Collins is currently the Founding Director at Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive, where she has provided visionary and adaptive leadership to a newly formed collective impact initiative. She serves as an intermediary between funders and partners, and as the external spokesperson for the effort. She previously served as Managing Director of Program at One Goal and was also a Community Development Advisor at Purpose Built Communities. At Purpose Built, Collins brought together public, private and community leaders to drive large-scale community revitalization. She began her career as an elementary school teacher with Teach For America.
Collins is known as a collaborative thought leader, dedicated to lifting communities in need via broad-based public and private partnerships. She has been instrumental in driving impact for families and communities in Atlanta and the Southeast region.
“Brittany is an accomplished, gifted leader with a track record of galvanizing individuals and groups to achieve extraordinary results. She is an excellent communicator and collaborator, who will lead the Foundation in remaining proximate while influencing critical systems change. Brittany brings the grace, passion, and intellect to lead our organization.”
In selecting Collins, the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Board is reinforcing its priorities and values to advance the field of philanthropy by engaging more deeply with leaders proximate to the needs of the community, and by continuing its history of thought leadership and collaboration, boldness, and nimbleness.
“It is a tremendous honor to join the revered leadership of the Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Foundation, and to continue driving their philanthropic efforts towards building more equitable systems across Georgia communities. With my extensive experience focused on designing social impact strategies, I know that philanthropic support truly makes the difference. I have long respected the foundation’s value-driven approach to perennial issues, and I am eager to further our advancement in the field.”
Collins grew up in East St. Louis, Illinois. She moved to Atlanta to attend Spelman College.
Collins’ appointment culminates a wide-ranging national search that reached approximately 200 potential candidates and referral sources. The Betty and Davis Fitzgerald Search Committee partnered with BoardWalk Consulting, a national firm based in Atlanta.