Miguel A. Santana Named Next President and CEO of the California Community Foundation
LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 22, 2023) – The California Community Foundation (CCF) Board of Directors announced that Miguel A. Santana will be CCF’s next president and CEO. Santana currently serves as the president and CEO of the Weingart Foundation; he will assume his new role on October 16, 2023. Antonia Hernández will continue as president and CEO through October 13.
Santana was unanimously appointed by the Board after a rigorous interviewing and vetting process conducted by the Board’s Executive Search Committee, with the assistance of search firm Spencer Stuart. The search committee was impressed by the wealth of experience and diversity in the candidate pool. They selected Santana because of his deep commitment to addressing the challenges facing Los Angeles County; his demonstrated success in prioritizing the values of equity and inclusion; his passion for CCF’s areas of expertise, including advocacy, housing, immigration, charitable giving, and civic engagement among other areas; as well as his extensive leadership experience in philanthropy and the public sector.
“Antonia Hernández has built CCF to a position of great strength and incomparable reputation; Miguel Santana is the right leader to build from that extraordinary foundation to greater heights for the Foundation and for the Los Angeles region,” said Thomas A. Saenz, chair of the CCF board of directors. “His unmatched and lengthy leadership track record of successfully confronting myriad challenges in our dynamic region demonstrate that he will increase the positive impact of CCF on the Los Angeles that he has loved and served throughout his life.”
Santana began his career as a community liaison at MALDEF, before serving as former L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina’s chief of staff. He eventually became the city administrative officer for the City of Los Angeles, where he oversaw the City’s $9 billion budget and designed the City’s first comprehensive homeless strategy, resulting in a $1.2 billion voter-approved housing bond and a doubling of the City’s general fund investment on programs to end homelessness.
Santana was appointed president and CEO of the Weingart Foundation in 2021. Prior to joining the Weingart Foundation, he served as president and CEO of the Fairplex, a nonprofit community benefit organization based in Pomona.
“The California Community Foundation’s mission of fulfilling the promise of Los Angeles County aligns deeply with my core values of unapologetically fighting for equity, justice, and for a Los Angeles region where everyone thrives,” said Miguel A. Santana, CCF’s incoming president and CEO. “As a native Angeleno and the son of immigrants, it will be a privilege to work with the CCF team and the community on the tremendous legacy that my predecessor, colleague, and friend, Antonia Hernández has built. I know that together, we can deliver on the promise of Los Angeles.”
His commitment to creating a more equitable Southern California region is reflected in his leadership at the Weingart Foundation. The Foundation partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial, social, and economic justice. With $850 million in assets, the Foundation supports organizations focused on human services, housing, health, education, and community power building. Santana has been able to further the Foundation’s mission while centering community voices.
The Weingart Foundation has been one of CCF’s strongest philanthropic partners and allies. With Santana assuming his new role we expect our partnership to only strengthen.
“On behalf of the Weingart Board, we want to congratulate Miguel A. Santana on his appointment as president and CEO of CCF,” said Monica Lozano, chair, Weingart Foundation board of directors. “From immigrant inclusion to strengthening the capacity of LA’s nonprofits, we are proud to stand side by side with CCF in advancing our shared vision for a just and equitable Southern California. With Miguel’s appointment, we will continue our long-lasting partnership, working together for a better Los Angeles.”
“We at CCF are grateful to our colleagues at the Weingart Foundation for the ongoing working collaborations between our two powerful philanthropic organizations and view our choice of Miguel Santana as a mark of our shared commitment to grow that critical relationship,” said CCF board chair Saenz.
Santana’s numerous civic efforts include serving on the L.A. County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency (LACAHSA) board. He has also served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Whittier College Board of Trustees. Santana holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Latin American Studies from Whittier College and a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University.
Santana succeeds President and CEO Antonia Hernández, who announced that she was stepping down in March of 2023, after nearly two decades of leading and transforming CCF into a strong, vibrant advocate for Los Angeles County.
