Announcing New Key Leadership Positions
We are excited to announce three leadership roles in our C-Suite staff – working alongside new CEO Yamani Yansã Hernandez to push Groundswell to think bolder, act bolder, and fund bolder as we work to create a multi-racial, feminist democracy.
If you missed our announcement of Yamani being appointed Groundswell’s new CEO, we invite you to take a moment to get to know them through the introductory video below.
Since Groundswell’s founding over twenty years ago, we did not expect U.S. democracy and our human rights to hang in the balance as they do today. This moment requires us to evolve our leadership infrastructure to support the growth of our organization and social change movements.
The work for collective liberation is more important than ever, especially with the escalating attacks on bodily autonomy and voting rights alongside a global trend toward fascism and white supremacy.
Meet the three incredible leaders who have stepped into these new roles to guide Groundswell’s vision. The brilliance is palpable, and we look forward to all that will come in 2024 with this outstanding team.
Naa Amissah-Hammond (she/her)
Chief Strategy Officer of Groundswell Fund
Naa leads strategy development and works with our teams to create alignment and impact across Groundswell’s grantmaking, capacity-building, and funder-organizing efforts.
A Black, immigrant, queer femme who has worked in philanthropy, development, and grassroots organizing over the last decade, Naa has been at Groundswell for over seven years and previously served as Groundswell’s Program Officer and Senior Grantmaking Director.
She is deeply committed to organizing funders and donors to return resources to frontline movements and communities fighting for justice and liberation.
Quanita Toffie (she/her)
Executive Director of Groundswell Action Fund
Quanita leads Groundswell’s affiliated 501(c)(4) public foundation, Groundswell Action Fund. She has been with Groundswell for ten years – initially as an IVE coach and then led Groundswell Fund’s 501(c)(3) Integrated Voter Engagement (IVE) program, a capacity-building program that equips Reproductive Justice (RJ) groups with cutting-edge voter engagement skills and technology to implement year-round organizing.
A native of South Africa, she recounts joining her parents as they voted for the first time in their lives – and for Nelson Mandela – in 1994, which was the moment that sparked a lifelong passion for electoral organizing. Before joining Groundswell, she was founding staff of Florida New Majority, where she led the creation of statewide, multi-entity electoral organizing efforts to advance racial and social justice in Florida.
angélique nguyễn green (she/her)
Chief Development Officer
angélique is new to the organization and responsible for the organization’s fundraising and development strategy and success, working closely with senior leadership to ensure alignment with Groundswell’s vision, values, and 2020-2025 Blueprint.
A queer, neurodivergent, first-generation biracial Vietnamese woman, she brings over 15 years experience in fundraising and development strategy and most recently serving as the Chief Development Officer at the Center for Popular Democracy and Center for Popular Democracy Action.