Salus Board Welcomes New Member Danita D. Nias

Salus University Board of Trustees member Derrick Artis, OD ‘89, MBA and Danita D. Nias have a mutual friend and when Dr. Artis found out what Nias did for a living — she was then vice present for Institutional Advancement and CEO of the Florida Atlantic University (FAU) Foundation — he thought her fundraising expertise could be useful to Salus.

One conversation led to another, and Dr. Artis connected Nias with Jacqueline Patterson, MPA, vice president of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations at Salus.

The University will benefit even further from Nias’ experience now that, on the recommendation of Artis, she has joined the Board of Trustees effective this past January.

“In our fundraising world there are not many people of color who do what I do,” said Nias. “I look forward to giving back to help Salus advance its strategic goals, while helping Jacquie — and the Advancement team — strengthen fundraising for its promising people and programs.”

Nias has been president and CEO of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties in Florida since March 2021. The Community Foundation serves as a civic leader and grant maker with the goal of improving the lives of all local residents. Founded in 1972, the Foundation has $250 million in assets under management and has awarded more than $200 million in grants and academic scholarships in its history.

During her tenure at FAU, she helped catapult the university into a new era of excellence with record-breaking fundraising and spearheaded its second-ever comprehensive campaign, FAU’s first in 20 years.

Before joining FAU, Nias rose through the ranks at the University of Florida (UF), the state's flagship institution. Over the course of five years, she was promoted to positions in Alumni Relations and External Affairs, and finally to senior associate vice president for External Affairs. She directed the national volunteer strategy to support UF’s $3 billion campaign. From 1995 to 2011, Nias held numerous senior-level positions at the University of Maryland, including assistant vice president for Development and Alumni Relations during the university's $1 billion campaign. She was senior associate director of athletics before pivoting her talents to fundraising.

In addition to her higher education experience, Nias worked in the private industry for 14 years at global giants Xerox Corporation and Learning International.

Nias has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in International Relations from Syracuse University. She is currently working on her PhD dissertation titled “The Role of University Presidents in University Fundraising Performance.

Salus president Michael H. Mittelman, OD ‘80, MPH, MBA, FAAO, FACHE, is thrilled to have Nias on the board.

“The depth of experiences Danita brings from her healthcare and fundraising backgrounds will clearly help us navigate the very choppy waters ahead,” he said.

Although Nias hasn’t yet visited the Salus campus, she looks forward meeting her fellow board members face-to-face and getting to work on helping Salus evolve.

“Now that I’m in, I want to learn. I know that Salus is more than an optometry university and I’d love to take a deeper dive into its opportunities for growth,” she said.