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DANIELS FUND

Honoring Bill Daniels' direction to make life better for the people
and communities of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming

Management Team

Biographies

Hanna Skandera headshot

Hanna Skandera
President & Chief Executive Officer

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.

Hanna is nationally recognized for her expertise in education, with significant improvements in student achievement during her leadership in New Mexico, where she served as secretary of education under Governor Susana Martinez. She also previously served as undersecretary for California Governor Schwarzenegger and as deputy commissioner for Florida Governor Jeb Bush and as 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.

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

Kristen Morgan headshot

Kristen Lozada Morgan
Chief of Staff

Kristen Lozada Morgan joined the Daniels Fund in December 2020. She oversees administrative services and drives strategic focus and operational efficiency across the organization to achieve greater impact.

Prior to her position at the Daniels Fund, Kristen served as a consultant to nonprofit and education organizations across the country with an eye toward driving increased outcomes while realizing efficiencies. Previously, she led the unified enrollment system for the city of New Orleans as the Executive Director of Student Enrollment at the Louisiana Recovery School District and Chief Operating Officer for a network of charter schools.

Kristen holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard College and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business.

David Brown headshot

David Brown
Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President, Finance & Operations

David Brown joined the Daniels Fund in December 2007. As the Chief Financial Officer, David manages finance activities and serves as the Board Treasurer. He also manages operations including information technology and the analysis and reporting of data used in business activities across all departments.

David is committed to community investment, which is at the heart of the Daniels Fund’s work. David worked as a volunteer for numerous years, providing assistance to international students through International Students Incorporated. David is a member of the Leadership Network at the American Enterprise Institute, an alumni of Leadership Program of the Rockies, and a graduate of the Metro Denver Chamber Leadership Foundation's Impact Denver.

David holds an M.B.A. from Regis University, a Master of Science degree in Information Security Engineering from the SANS Technology Institute, and a bachelor’s degree in Business from Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado. David is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). David has earned 14 additional industry certifications and was the 170th professional in the world to earn the prestigious Security Expert (GSE) designation.

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Bo Peretto
Senior Vice President, Legacy & Donor Intent

Bo Peretto joined the Daniels Fund in January 2006. He leads the integration and preservation of Bill Daniels’ life and legacy throughout the Daniels Fund and all of its activities. Bo stewards the direction, style, and values of Bill Daniels in a manner that advances Bill’s legacy for generations to come. He also oversees the organization’s headquarters facility and public meeting space, special events, as well as the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program.

Prior to joining the Daniels Fund, Bo served as Assistant Vice President of Administration at Young Americans Center for Financial Education. In this role, he was responsible for supervising administrative staff and overseeing a broad range of the organization’s administrative functions.

Bo is a currently a board member of Young Americans Center for Financial Education and has served on the boards of the Rose Andom Center, Young Philanthropists Foundation, and Colorado Jump$tart Coalition for Personal Financial Literacy.

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Luke Ragland
Senior Vice President, Grants Program

Luke Ragland joined the Daniels Fund in July 2021. He oversees all aspects of the Grants Program, including eight grant funding areas across the Daniels Fund’s four-state region.

Prior to joining the Daniels Fund, Luke was the President of Ready Colorado, a statewide education advocacy organization focused on expanding school choice. Previously, he served as Vice President of Policy at Colorado Succeeds, a coalition of business leaders focused on improving the state’s education system. Luke practiced complex commercial litigation at a law firm in Denver immediately after law school.

Luke currently serves on a variety of public and private boards. He received his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and studied law at the University of Colorado Law School.

Luke is a fourth-generation Coloradan who grew up working for his family’s logging company in rural southwestern Colorado. He currently lives in Denver with his wife and two daughters.

Bruce Wilmsen headshot

Bruce Wilmsen
Vice President, Media & Communications

Bruce Wilmsen joined the Daniels Fund in May 2014. He manages the Daniels Fund's media relationships, release of news, community partnerships, digital communications, and social media.

Before his position at the Daniels Fund, Bruce served as Vice President, Client & Marketing Strategy for RBC Capital Markets. In that role, he was responsible for business-to-business digital, print, collateral, and event marketing. Prior to RBC, Bruce was Marketing Manager for Daniels & Associates, L.P., a privately owned media and telecommunications investment bank founded by Bill Daniels in 1958.

Bruce holds a bachelor's degree in Marketing from the University of Colorado.