GreenLight Fund Announces Baltimore Executive Director

Nia Imani Fields joins organization to lead next phase of work in Baltimore

Baltimore, MD – October 30, 2024 – GreenLight Fund, a national nonprofit funder, welcomes Dr. Nia Imani Fields as the GreenLight Fund Baltimore Executive Director. She joins GreenLight with extensive experience in the social sector and a passion for expanding networks and equitable opportunities for children, youth and families. As executive director, Fields will provide on-the-ground support to GreenLight’s existing two portfolio organizations as well as lead the community-driven process to bring the next set of social innovations to Baltimore to address pressing unmet needs.

“During the final interview with Nia, it was clear to me that she would be a great fit to lead GreenLight’s community-driven work locally. Her passion and leadership experience along with GreenLight’s innovative model are a combination that can truly help address barriers to economic mobility, bringing positive and sustainable change to our city,” said David Clapp, President, Rowland Ventures and GreenLight Fund Baltimore investor.

Throughout her career, Fields has contributed to efforts impacting local and national equity strategies and systems change. While attending Morgan State University, she worked at Civic Works in Baltimore as an AmeriCorps after school program supervisor. She later worked with Baltimore City Recreation & Parks through a mayoral fellowship to expand in-service professional development and teen engagement projects.

Fields has a doctorate in Urban Educational Leadership, a master’s degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy, and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Fields spent 17 years of her career at the University of Maryland, College Park. She served as the Assistant Director of University of Maryland Extension and Maryland 4-H Program Leader. In this role, Fields provided leadership and direction for 4-H Youth Development programs, faculty, and staff. Her academic research focused on positive youth development’s relationship to social capital and social justice. After retiring from the University, she was honored to be appointed as Professor Emerita in recognition of her contributions to academia and the community. Most recently, she was the Deputy Director for a national nonprofit where she supported a strategic vision towards economic mobility and well-being for young adults across the country.

“My true purpose in life is to increase networks and expand access for youth and young adults— particularly those excluded from opportunities to thrive. Morgan State University and Baltimore helped to shape me into the woman I am today and I’m excited to focus in on Baltimore where my career began over twenty years ago,” said Fields. “I owe a great deal to this city and look forward to leading GreenLight’s local work in partnership with Baltimore leaders and residents. Together, we will continue to identify and launch solutions that support Baltimore’s youth, families and communities.”

As executive director, Fields will lead GreenLight Baltimore’s community-driven annual process to find the most effective social innovations not yet present locally to address the needs that matter most to Baltimore residents facing barriers to prosperity. In partnership with the Selection Advisory Council, an inclusive, cross-sector group of community leaders, experts and residents proximate to the areas they are looking to address, they will prioritize barriers to economic mobility and then find, vet and ultimately select one evidenced-based program each year to bring to Baltimore to address that need with measurable results. GreenLight Baltimore helps selected organizations reach and sustain impact locally with on-the-ground support, multi-year funding, strategic partnership development and accountable measurement systems.

GreenLight Fund’s Vice President of Site Success Kate Schwass remarked, “We’re thrilled to have Nia on the team. Her experience along with her passion for equity and the local community make her an excellent fit to continue GreenLight’s work in Baltimore as we work to make real progress on dismantling deep-rooted racial and economic disparities with innovative programs that are rooted at the local level.”

The founding investor coalition that enables GreenLight’s locally focused work in Baltimore include: Anonymous; The Abell Foundation; The William L. and Victorine Q. Adams Foundation; The Annie E. Casey Foundation; The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore; Peter and Millicent Bain; The Baltimore Community Foundation; The Baltimore Ravens; Baltimore Gas & Electric; Bank of America; Patricia P Baum, The Baum Foundation; Ed and Ellen Bernard; Rick Berndt; John and Nina Bond; David and Jernee Bramble; Sana and Andy Brooks; Brown Advisory; Brown Capital Management; Eddie and Sylvia Brown; Mitchell and Rebecca Brown; The Bunting Family Foundation; Linda and Mark Caplan; Catholic Charities of Baltimore; Cynthia and Jack Cavanaugh; Charm City Run; Renee and George Christoff; Allison and David Clapp; John and Stephanie Connaughton; Charlie and Katie Constable; Continental Realty Corporation; Melissa and Jonathan Cordish; Diana and Clinton Daly; Byron Deese; Deloitte; The DiPietro Family; Céline Dufétel and Brian Stafford; Marilynn Duker and Dale McArdle; Eddie and Suzy Dunn; Dr. Letitia and Delali Dzirasa; Elbow Fund; Fearless; Guy Flynn and Nupur Parekh Flynn; France-Merrick Foundation; Russell and Selah Fugett; The Fund for Change; Gallagher Evelius & Jones LLP; Goldseker Foundation; The Goldsmith Family Foundation; Doug and Jody Greenstein; The Hackerman Foundation; Rian Hargrave; Jeff and Shelly Hettleman; Richard and Margaret Conn Himelfarb; The David and Barbara B. Hirschhorn Foundation; Henry and Nancy Hopkins; Freeman and Jackie Hrabowski; iHeartMedia; The Zanvyl and Isabelle Krieger Fund; Johns Hopkins University; Josh and Kara Levinson; The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation; LifeBridge Health; M&T Bank; The Madeline Foundation; MCB Real Estate; Wes and Dawn Moore; David and Betsy Nelson; Anne and Yehuda Neuberger; Passano Family Foundation; PNC Bank; The Presidents’ RoundTable; Mark A Reid; Arnie and Alison Richman; The Rodgers Family Fund; Brian and Mary Jo Rogers; Michael Rosenbaum and Amy Kiesel; Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP; Ben and Esther Rosenbloom Foundation; Sandy Hillman Communications; The Shelter Foundation; Scott Sherman and Julie Rothman; John and Sue Simon; Robert and Terri Smith; Stifel Foundation; STX; Jordan Thomas; T. Rowe Price; The Under Armour Foundation; United Way of Central Maryland; The University of Baltimore; The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation; Wells Fargo; Wiese Family Charitable Fund; William T Burnett & Co.; and Matthew and Christine Wyskiel Family Charitable Gift Fund.