DENA RAE HANCOCK REJOINS GOLISANO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF NAPLES

DENA RAE HANCOCK REJOINS GOLISANO CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF NAPLES

AS SR. PHILANTHROPY OFFICER

The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples announced today that Dena Rae Hancock has rejoined the organization in the new role of Senior Philanthropy Officer. In this role, Hancock will focus on elevating the museum’s annual and capital fundraising to better serve the organization’s long-term goals.

“We are thrilled to add Dena Rae’s character and capability to our advancement team,” CEO Jonathan Foerster said. “She has a deep passion for the museum and our work, plus an intimate knowledge of our operations and our donor constituencies. When we first sat down to talk about this possibility, I could hardly believe the stars aligned in a way that this could happen.”

Hancock rejoins the museum after 18 months as a Sr. Vice President at Naples Trust Company. She previously served as CEO at CMON from 2020-2022.

“After years of working in nonprofits, I enjoyed my chance to work with people for good in a very different way,” Hancock said. “I’m deeply grateful to the wonderful people at Naples Trust Company for our time together. However, at the end of the day, my heart kept pulling me back to the children and mission of CMON.”

Hancock first started at CMON in 2018 as a volunteer after attending a Night at the Museum gala event. Quickly she joined as Director of Philanthropy before serving as interim CEO and later CEO. She comes back to the organization with decades of nonprofit fundraising experience.  Among other roles, she serves on the board of the globally recognized Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, where she first began her career.

Hancock began her new role on Oct. 2.

About the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples
The Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples is a brain-building powerhouse and Southwest Florida’s first museum devoted for children and families to learn through play. With hands-on exhibit galleries, the accessible museum invites visitors of all ages to journey through the swamps of the Everglades, weave through a maze, climb a two-story banyan tree, or experiment with the water play station. Children can become a weather forecaster, a farmer, a chef, a fisherman, an artist, an architect, or a veterinarian; explore the cold of an igloo, the whoosh of the wind, the sound of the sea, and the effects of gravity. Throughout the day special activities encourage our guests to get involved, try something new, and be energized. CMON offers a variety of interactive exhibits providing kids with education, play, learning, science, technology, engineering, inventions, space exploration, art, math, storybooks, creation, building, sensory, and child development.

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For more information about Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples, or to make a contribution, visit www.cmon.orgorcall 239-260-1604.