Bio

Marlene Spalten is the President and CEO of the Community Foundation Tampa Bay. During her nine-year tenure, donor advised, and permanent assets have more than tripled to $460 million while annual CFTB grants to the Tampa Bay community have grown to $60 million. In 2022, Marlene was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal Power 100 list of influential community leaders. Marlene is a graduate of Cornell College and held leadership roles with Baptist Health Foundation and The Bolles School in Jacksonville, and Forman School in Connecticut. She has more than 30 years of philanthropy experience.

As a community leader, Marlene has served on the boards of Florida Philanthropic Network (FPN), Community Foundations of Florida (CFF), and Florida College Access Network (FCAN). She is Secretary to the Board of the International Women's Forum (IWF Suncoast) and serves on the Community Advisory Boards for the Junior League of Tampa and Junior Achievement. She is a member of the Athena Society, several area Chambers and Economic Development Corps, and the Tampa Bay Partnership.

Under her leadership, the Community Foundation serves as the backbone organization for the LEAP Tampa Bay College Access Network and Thrive by Five and has successfully launched major initiatives including Mental Health First Aid training, and, in collaboration with the Tampa Bay Partnership, USF, and United Way, produces the annual Tampa Bay Regional Competitiveness Report.

Specialties: Fundraising; Board and financial management, program development; community, donor and volunteer relations; grantmaking; strategic planning; partnership development.