This month’s “Member Spotlight” features Danielle MW Fitz-Hugh, Vice President of Community Relations at the Richmond Region Tourism Foundation. Here’s a little bit more about Danielle and her work in philanthropy:
What social media “influencers” are you currently following? What leaders have “influenced” your leadership style or goals?
- Kelli Lemon (@likethefruit) – she keeps it 100,
- Ryan Dunlap (@conflictish),
- Good Carpool (@goodcarpool5) – the energy
These 3 are a good mix of me and where I connect too real, 100% of the time. Condoleezza Rice, Michelle Obama and Viola Davis are all leaders I’d like to set my north star on, reserved elegance, purpose driven and power in their quietness.
How have changes over the past few years influenced your leadership and/or grantmaking?
Change is constant at every moment and with that if you don’t change you end of doing something less than, which no one wants. For me, I think being grounded in the importance of make an difference and doing the right thing for the right reason regardless of popularity has just continued to drive me and my work.
As a new Funder Member, what are you looking forward to the most? What should other Funder Members know about you and/or your organization?
As a new member we hope to increase the importance of our work and its impact on community. We know before people move, take a job, start or relocate a business they start with a visit. Our work helps ensure the Richmond Region maintains the best place visit.
We help new and existing business with funding to give them a leg up in marketing and developing their programming that attracts visitors within our region representing 7 localities. We provide event grants, photography, membership grants to organizations that help with business training and networking. We also provide scholarships to college students specializing in tourism and hospitality career paths. We provide summer housing stipends to college students working at hotels in the region.
Tell us about a project or an area of work you’re most excited about.
Our work in diversity and inclusion with OutRVA for the last 11 years and BLK RVA for the last 6 years is nationally and regionally recognized as the north star of impact. We have continued to keep our foot on the gas in supporting our tourism and hospitality partners that touch visitors to help impact their work so they can continue to growth their footprint in the region. We launched a national BLK RVA traveler video campaign this past year and this is our third year as presenting sponsor of Pride VA the largest LGQBT+ festival in the state.
What else would you like your fellow funders to know?
There is always more or less we could be doing. The question is what should we be doing right now.