Trine honors Jennifer Danic as Woman of Distinction
October 01, 2024
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Trine University President Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., left, presents the Woman of Distinction
Award to Jennifer Danic, president and CEO of the Steuben County Community Foundation.
(Photo by Dean Orewiler)
Trine University honored Jennifer Danic, president and CEO of the Steuben County Community
Foundation, with its annual Woman of Distinction Award during the university’s annual
Touchstone and Homecoming Celebration Dinner on Sept. 27.
The event was held in the Keith E. Busse/Steel Dynamics Inc. Athletic and Recreation
Center.
Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., Trine University president, presented the award following
a video presentation featuring images of Danic throughout her lifetime.
Danic credited many others for her ability to balance her work at the foundation,
community service and being a mother to two boys.
“Any sort of success that you might be looking at up here is because of thousands
of people that I get to interact with on an annual basis,” she said. “I am a reflection
of this community and the community that we interact with.”
She said the interdependence that helps her succeed is also at work between Steuben
County and Trine University.
“Our community needs Trine University,” she said. “It needs the innovation and the
opportunity and the facilities and the jobs and the bridge to the greater state and
country through its university work.”
“At the same time, Trine University needs the Steuben County community. Trine needs
a place to call home. Trine needs a place for people like you, alumni and donors and
friends and students to gather and celebrate shared accomplishments. Trine University
and Steuben County have a very unique relationship, and I'm fortunate to sit in a
role that gets to see that relationship from the front row.”
About Jennifer Danic
Danic has led the Steuben County Community Foundation as president and CEO since 2011,
but has been part of the community for much longer.
Her parents met at Tri-State (now Trine) University in the mid-1970s and have lived
in Angola since graduating. Their love of Tri-State and Trine rubbed off on Danic,
who learned to swim at Hershey Hall and golf at Zollner Golf Course, and took part
in tennis camps, gymnastics performances at basketball games and other campus activities.
After graduating from Angola High School, Danic studied at Hillsdale College, where
she led a volunteer organization that connected college students with adults with
disabilities in the community. Through the encouragement of a mentor, she decided
to pursue her passion for nonprofit work.
Danic attended the Center on Philanthropy for her Master of Arts degree in Philanthropic
Studies. An internship introduced her to foundations, where she has worked for more
than 20 years: first in a family foundation, then an education foundation, the Goodwill
Foundation and the Steuben County Community Foundation.
Her family returned to Angola for her husband Dave’s career.
The Steuben County Community Foundation and Trine University partner on many initiatives.
The foundation provides annual grants to Trine for community and school programming.
The foundation hosts its nonprofit trainings on Trine’s campus and held a two-part
30th anniversary event in the Ryan Concert Hall of the T. Furth Center for Performing
Arts last year. It leads and participates in Senior Capstone projects.
Danic is a semi-annual guest speaker in Ketner School of Business classes. Trine professors
from all disciplines regularly provide their expertise to the community’s nonprofits
through the foundation’s connections and requests.
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