AGENCY LEADERSHIP
MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE PROGRAMS
Anita Hassell has worked for the Catholic Charities for the past 10 years in the positions of Associate Diocesan Director, Chief Program Officer, Chief Operating Officer and most recently as Chief Executive Officer. Prior to moving to Fernandina Beach in 2006 she served the deaf and hard of hearing communities of Dade County as the Executive Director of Deaf Services Bureau, Inc. Prior to that she worked for 10 years at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Miami where she held progressively responsible positions up to the position of Division Director overseeing an annual budget of over 13 million dollars. She has diverse experience in program development, management of human resources, public relations, fiscal and contract management, strategic planning, accreditation, and mission effectiveness. Anita has a master’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Business Administration. She is also a Peer Reviewer for the Council on Accreditation.
Mary Edda Day is the Chief Financial Officer for the Catholic Charities. She received her BA in Accounting Information Systems from the University of West Florida and her MBA with a concentration in Accounting from the University of North Florida. She holds a Certified Public Accountant License and an Information Technology Profession Certification. MaryEdda is a member of the FICPA, a member of the FICPA non-profit conference committee, and a member of the AICPA. MaryEdda received the Ultimate CFO award given by the Jacksonville Business Journal in 2010 for her work with consolidation of the financials for the 4 regional offices. She has been with Catholic Charities for 20 years.
Danah Gammage is a Jacksonville native who has a deep love for our community. She has a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of North Florida. Her passion has always been nonprofit management and she has over twenty years of experience working in non-profits in a variety of capacities. She has extensive experience working with accreditation, compliance, strategic planning, policy development, evaluation, training, HR and risk management. She feels that it is a joy to come to work every day and play a small part in an organization that positively impacts the lives of so many individuals in need.
Denise Fanning is a Marine combat veteran, moved to Gainesville in 2008 from her native state of Texas and graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in psychology. She began her nonprofit career in 2011 and has gained experience from every position she has held, from medical and dental case management, program development and management, and budgeting. She joined the Catholic Charities family in November of 2020, as the first director for our Emergency Assistance programs. “Catholic Charities is one organization that truly embodies an ethos of providing compassionate services to our communities. I am fortunate to be a part of such an amazing and caring organization.”
Lori Weber took the helm of Catholic Charities Jacksonville in 2021. Her decades-long career has cultivated senior leadership expertise through diverse business and nonprofit sectors – most notably through her time with the American Culinary Federation (ACF), the ACF Education Foundation, the National Breast Cancer Coalition (NBCC). A life-long Catholic and 20-year resident of Jacksonville, Weber is a devoted parishioner at San Juan Del Rio. The Wisconsin native holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse.
Shannon began as Regional Director for Catholic Charities Lake City in November 2023. Shannon previously worked in child welfare case management for over 10 years, both in program management and as front-line staff. She also worked for 7 years in the education system in the private sector, also serving in program management. Shannon has a master’s degree in Educational Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Criminology. She is a lifelong Florida resident and moved to Lafayette County in 1990. Shannon is excited to bring her knowledge and experience of the needs of the local rural area to Catholic Charities Lake City.
Tara Provini has been a resident of St. Augustine for more than 30 years and holds a BA in Psychology and Elementary Education. With a passion to help others and management skills, Tara has more than 15 years’ experience working with local nonprofit agencies in areas including family case management, behavior specialist, and program coordinator for adults with special needs. She joined Catholic Charities at the St. Augustine Regional Office in 2017 holding positions as Disaster Case Manager, Coordinator, Administrative Manager, and most recently, Regional Director. When not working, Tara enjoys activities with her family and two children, spending time at the beach, camping, and traveling.