Danine Knowles Hodge affinity for the outdoors comes from her childhood days of spending summers in the Bahamas near the beach and in Orlando Florida where her uncle owned an orange grove. Spending time outdoors with her sisters and family was something that she always enjoyed. Helping her uncle pick the oranges and keep the floor of the grove clean was one of her favorite things to do outside of fishing on the beaches of Andros, Bahamas. These outdoor childhood experiences built up her passion for the environment over the years. Growing up in NYC was different, however, visiting parks throughout the Tri-state area spending time hiking and boating with family and friends sufficed when she wasn’t in Florida or the Bahamas.

Danine relocated to Atlanta GA in 2010 making a change for her and her son to have a quality of life that included the outdoors and the opportunity to understand more clearly the struggles of African Americans in the south. Here Danine started her non-profit finance and management consulting business to support start-up and small non-profit organizations.  Danine also worked with renowned organizations such as Easter Seals, YWCA, WABE and New Georgia Project.

Danine comes to GYF as a Chief Financial Officer with more than 20 years of financial experience working exclusively with non-profit organizations with budgets ranging from $3M-$150M. Danine has worked with nonprofit CEO’s to actively shape the strategy of organizations to improve finance and personnel internal controls, fundraising and identifying and implementing innovative programs to meet the needs of their clients and the communities served. Danine changed careers from the for-profit financial sector to work in the non-profit sector and effect change in diverse areas of interest and meaning to her. Danine has an affinity for organizations that champion the BIPOC community in the areas of education, mental health, environment, alternatives to policing, and community development.

Danine holds a MS in Organizational Management from St. Joseph’s College. She is also a graduate of Columbia University’s Non-Profit Executive Management Program. Danine enjoys camping, biking, picnics in the park and whitewater rafting when she has time.