Leadership Way: A Dialogue with Daria Devlin, 2023 CEO of the Year

Join The Nonprofit Partnership for Leadership Way, an exclusive forum for Executive Directors and Chief Executive Officers.

In addition to networking with peers in the field, the forum will feature an in-depth interview with Daria Devlin, celebrated as The Nonprofit Partnership's 2023 CEO of the Year, as part of the Nonprofit Excellence Awards. Daria, known for her remarkable leadership journey and innovative vision, will share insights into her top achievements and the role of emotional intelligence in leadership.

Leaders will have the opportunity to explore Daria's strategies and philosophies that have set her apart in the nonprofit sector. Don't miss this chance to connect, learn, and be inspired by one of the most influential leaders of our community. 

Please note: This is a member-only event and space is limited. Additionally, this event is exclusively for Executive Directors, CEOs, or Board Presidents.

About Daria

Daria Devlin is a passionate advocate for health and wealth equity in the City of Erie. She currently serves as Director of Social Impact for the Hamot Health Foundation where she is overseeing the creation of a new community development corporation to address the social determinants of health in our community. A life-long resident of Erie and a native of the city’s East Bayfront neighborhood, Ms. Devlin is a proud graduate of the former Central High School. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and Russian Studies from Colgate University and an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Edinboro University.

Ms. Devlin has over 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Prior to her current position, Ms. Devlin served as Executive Director of the Erie Center for Arts and Technology, where she secured the region’s first New Market Tax Credit to finance a $12M renovation of the former Wayne School into a neighborhood resource center on East Avenue. Ms. Devlin also served as Coordinator of Grants and Community Relations for Erie’s Public Schools where she helped lead the 2016 grassroots campaign to secure $14M in additional state funding for our city school district. During that time, Ms. Devlin also served as Executive Director of the Foundation for Erie’s Public Schools, which she founded in 2012. In various positions over the past decade, Ms. Devlin successfully wrote and secured major grants for the Blue Coats, Erie’s Community Schools initiative, the United Way’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and the Wayne School-Based Health Center.

In 2021, Ms. Devlin was elected to the Erie School Board and served as Board President in 2023. She is also a board member of the Erie Western PA Port Authority, the Erie Land Bank, and the Police Athletic League. In addition to these civic responsibilities, Ms. Devlin is very active in her church, where she leads the choir, serves as Vice President of the parish council and chairs the Russian Troika Festival. Ms. Devlin was named one of the Erie Times News Four Under Forty in 2016, the PRSA Niagara Chapter’s Public Relations Professional of the Year in 2017 and the Nonprofit Partnership’s CEO of the Year in 2023. She also received the Foundation for Erie’s Public Schools Advocacy award in 2018. Ms. Devlin lives in the City of Erie with her husband Neal and three sons, Nick (21), Nate (19) and Alex (17).