JEFF HAYWARD

PRESIDENT & CEO, HEART OF FLORIDA UNITED WAY, ORLANDO

Founded in 1939, Heart of Florida United Way (HFUW) has 140 employees. Its approach is rooted in bringing together individuals, groups and institutions to strategically and efficiently tackle the issues impacting ALICE (Asset-Limited, Income-Constrained, Employed) families in the community. “HFUW provided assistance to those affected by (the Pulse nightclub shooting) by managing the Orlando United Assistance Center, supported Hurricane Maria evacuees with housing and furniture, and aided over 13,000 households with emergency financial assistance and responded to 360,000 calls through its 211 Information & Referral Line during the pandemic,” he says.

EDUCATION: St. Anselm College (BA)

FIRST JOB: I spent my summers during school cutting grass in a cemetery, but my first ‘real’ job was chief of staff to the mayor of Lynn, Mass.

DREAM ALTERNATE CAREER: Catcher for the Boston Red Sox. Being part of a historic and successful team, experiencing the electric atmosphere at Fenway Park from the field and contributing to the legacy of one of baseball’s most beloved franchises would have been a dream come true.

HOBBY: Chickens. What began as an offhand comment from my wife, which I initially thought was a bad idea, has blossomed into a backyard filled with eight chickens. Now, we have more fresh eggs than we know what to do with.

INDUSTRY TREND: The changing economic environment and rapidly evolving technology is significantly disrupting nonprofits, forcing them to radically reshape strategies for fundraising and streamline operations.

SOMETHING SURPRISING
“Despite my fear of heights, I’ve challenged myself by skydiving twice and zip lining multiple times.”