Fresno Regional Foundation

Meet our CEO

Fresno Regional Foundation is led by a dedicated board of directors and a committed Chief Executive Officer, Daniel DeSantis, to fulfill our mission of improving the quality of life in our community through philanthropy.

Dan spent his formative years in the San Fernando Valley. He received his bachelor’s degree in education from California State University, Northridge and earned a master’s degree in administration at the University of Southern California.

Dan spent the first 20 years of his professional life as a hospital administrator, and the last 12 as the CEO of Sierra Kings District Hospital in Reedley, CA. In 1999, he was hired by the Fresno Superior Court to create and run the court’s first mediation program. Dan left the court in 2005 to become the CEO of Fresno Regional Foundation.

Dan’s wife Kathy began her career in nursing and transitioned to the legal profession. She is currently the managing attorney of the Fifth District Court of Appeals. Dan and Kathy have one son, Angelo, an attorney practicing in the Bay Area.

Contact Dan via e-mail.

Grantmaking stories

Read Fresno is a project of One by One Leadership with the vision that every child will read at grade level by third grade. Through Read Fresno, children participating in reading improvement programs receive new books, encouragement, and opportunities to thrive.

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