JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kids Hope Alliance has officially named Dr. Dana Kriznar as its new interim CEO, marking a leadership change for the local nonprofit that oversees millions in public funding for children’s programs.
The announcement comes months after the KHA board fired former CEO Saralyn Grass following an Action News Jax investigation. That investigation found Grass failed to file the required secondary employment paperwork when she formed a consulting company with her husband. Board members also cited concerns about transparency.
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Kriznar was unanimously approved by the board during a public meeting.
“With a great deal of pride, I would like to make the motion that we approve Dr. Dana Kriznar as the interim CEO for Kids Hope Alliance,” board member Lawrence Dennis said ahead of the vote.
Kriznar brings decades of experience in Duval County Public Schools. Her career with the district began in the 1980s as a math teacher and later included roles as principal, assistant principal, assistant superintendent of strategic planning and partnerships, chief of staff, and deputy superintendent.
RELATED: Jacksonville’s Kids Hope Alliance nominates Dr. Dana Kriznar to be interim CEO
Board Chair Marsha Oliver said Kriznar’s commitment to service made her the clear choice.
“She had me at the word serve,” Oliver said. “When you look at the definition of the word serve, it is the intentional practice, and that is indeed Dana Kriznar.”
Board members said Kriznar was highly recommended and ultimately the only candidate brought forward for the interim position.
But even as KHA looks ahead with new leadership, new questions are being raised about its former CEO.
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Vice Chair Cynthia Nixon questioned Grass’s relationship with the Boys & Girls Club, a KHA partner agency. In an email to Action News Jax, a Boys & Girls Club spokesperson confirmed Grass began consulting with the organization in December.
Nixon questioned whether that work could violate ethics code.
“I’m not sure if this is all hearsay, but it has come to my attention that the former CEO has gone to work for one of our agencies or may have even done some contract work,” Nixon said during the meeting. “I was just wondering how that’s possible and if it’s something in the ethics laws that prohibits that from happening.”
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Action News Jax reached out to Grass for comment about the ethics concerns raised during the meeting. She responded by text, saying, “I have no comment on this matter.”
The KHA board said it is preparing to look into Grass’s ties with the Boys & Girls Club before determining whether that relationship violates any ethics code.
As for Kriznar, board members say they believe her future with the nonprofit is promising, with Oliver calling the transition “the start of something new” and saying it brings “the hope of something great.”
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