Marlene Spalten is the kind of leader who prefers deep conversation over small talk, collaboration over silos and vision over ego. As the president and chief executive officer of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay, Spalten has carved out a role that is as complex as it is impactful, part strategist, part matchmaker, part steward of generosity.
Raised in the small immigrant-rich town of Centerville, Iowa, with a Croatian-American father and an Italian mother, Spalten says she developed a sense of cultural richness and a deep appreciation for community. That foundation has guided her as she made her way from the Midwest to the Northeast, and finally, to Florida, where she has spent the last several years transforming philanthropy across Tampa Bay.
“I am curious about everything,” she says. “People say, ‘Oh, this is boring.’ Nothing is boring to me.”
That curiosity has served her well in a role where understanding people, and relating to what they care about, is essential. The Community Foundation of Tampa Bay manages more than $253 million in assets and has awarded over $210 million in grants. Its purpose: to help people turn their charitable intentions into meaningful, lasting impact.
“Philanthropy is the bedrock of a vibrant community,” Spalten says. “When people invest in their community, they act differently. They’re not bystanders. They become stakeholders.”
Under Spalten’s leadership, the foundation has become an engine of progress, supporting causes from education to mental health to workforce development. One initiative, LEAP Tampa Bay, is on the verge of achieving a lofty goal: ensuring 60% of residents in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties hold either a college degree or a high-quality professional certification, by 2025.
“Workforce readiness, housing and transportation are top issues we hear across the board,” she says. “We can’t solve these in silos. Government, business and philanthropy all have to work together.”
Spalten has helped pioneer a model of cross-sector collaboration known as “collective impact,” in which the foundation serves as a backbone organization, bringing together various stakeholders to address complex community challenges. She calls it one of her proudest achievements.
That same collaborative spirit drives how the foundation approaches partnerships with nonprofits, government agencies and businesses. Spalten often encourages nonprofits to work together, share resources and avoid redundancy, especially when their missions align. “We’re seeing more and more of that,” she says, noting recent collaborations between major nonprofits in the region. “It stretches resources further and reaches more people.”
Equally important is her ability to navigate the emotional complexities of philanthropy. “You can’t ever be coldhearted, that just won’t work,” she says. “But you also can’t roll around in sadness. Our job is to bring hope.”
She recounted stories of families who turned grief into purpose, like the Dimmitt family, who started the Love IV Lawrence fund after losing their son to suicide. The fund now supports mental health education and stigma reduction throughout Tampa Bay. It’s a vivid example of how philanthropy can be both practical and personal.
The foundation also funds initiatives such as Mental Health First Aid, a program that trains everyday people to recognize signs of mental health crises in their communities. Spalten herself took the course and admits it changed how she sees mental wellness. “It’s like CPR for mental health,” she said. “You can’t underestimate the power of being able to recognize when someone is in trouble and getting them help.”
Internally, Spalten is perhaps most proud of the team she’s built. “Nobody leaves once we hire them,” she says. “We hire carefully, and we build a culture where people enjoy working together and being out in the community.”
That culture reflects Spalten herself: warm, professional, curious and deeply committed. Whether she’s strategizing with business leaders, listening to a donor share their story or exploring partnerships between nonprofits, Spalten’s goal remains consistent: to make giving easier, more meaningful and more impactful.
“We’re your partner in philanthropy,” she says. “We help you do something you already want to do. And the easier we make it, the more people give and the more we all benefit.”
With a billion dollars in assets recently reached and a region transformed by strategic generosity, Spalten’s leadership continues to shape not only how Tampa Bay gives, but how it grows. As she looks to the future, she remains guided by the same values that brought her here — curiosity, compassion and a deep belief in the power of community.