The Board of Directors of The Community Foundation ensures that the organization is effectively fulfilling its mission by making certain that Foundation initiatives, grantmaking, investment and donor stewardship activities all support and advance the institution's mission.

A man with short gray hair, glasses, and a goatee smiles at the camera. He is wearing a dark blazer over a blue-and-white checked shirt, posed against a light gray background.

Fernando J. Muñiz

Board of Directors Chair, The Community Foundation
  • Appointed by The Community Foundation's Board of Directors for a term of seven years beginning January 1, 2020
  • Committee Membership: Audit; Development (Chair); Executive; Finance; TCF-MIC Board of Managers

Fernando J. Muñiz is a nonprofit executive and community leader with over 25 years of experience in criminal justice, juvenile justice, child welfare and public administration. He is the executive director of Operation Hope of Fairfield. For over 40 years, Operation Hope has focused on eliminating hunger and homelessness through programs designed to help people solve their crises and build stability in an environment where compassion inspires dignity and hope.

Muñiz joined Operation Hope after serving as CEO of Community Solutions, Inc. and deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF). Prior to his state service, he was the executive director of the Connecticut Justice Alliance where he advocated for reform of the state’s juvenile justice system. The Alliance was instrumental in several reforms, including raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction and the closure of the state’s training school.

Muñiz holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Fairfield University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from New York University. He is the past president of the New England Association of Child Welfare Commissioners & Directors and past chair of the Progreso Latino Fund. He currently serves on the boards of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Capital Workforce Partners and Capital for Change.