Tiona Settles has joined Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation as Community Impact Officer, a new position focused on strengthening the Foundation’s relationships and understanding of the communities it serves.
As part of the Foundation’s Collaboration and Impact team, Settles will support grantmaking, strategic initiatives, and community partnerships. Central to her work will be listening to nonprofit organizations, community leaders, and residents to learn more about local needs, opportunities, and the experiences of people closest to the issues the Foundation seeks to address.
“This role is about understanding our community and the organizations with the potential to make a meaningful and measurable difference in it,” said John Annis, President & CEO of Barancik Foundation. “Tiona brings the curiosity, judgment, and community knowledge to help us see things that might never show up in a grant application, then make better philanthropic decisions as a result.”
Community Connections
Settles has built her career around community engagement, public health, and connecting people with resources and opportunities. She most recently served as Community Partnerships Officer at Gulf Coast Community Foundation, where she led strategic initiatives and efforts to secure additional philanthropic funding for the region. Before that, she worked at MCR Health as community and donor engagement coordinator and at CenterPlace Health as a certified community health worker.
Settles also has developed an impressive record of leadership in our local community. She was named Young Professional of the Year by the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and received an inaugural Emerging Leader Award from Caring Collective. She is a graduate of the Gulf Coast Leadership Institute, has mentored students through Take Stock in Children, and served as a judge for Sarasota Magazine’s 2026 Unity Awards.
Settles holds a master’s degree in public health and a bachelor’s degree in health science from Florida A&M University.
