WILLIAMSBURG, VA – The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is pleased to introduce new staff to the community as the philanthropy heads toward its 30-year mark of service to Greater Williamsburg through convening, connecting, leveraging opportunities, and grantmaking. “We are thrilled to welcome three new employees joining the Foundation eager to engage with partners and contribute to supporting area agencies addressing health-related needs in our community,” said Deanna Van Hersh, WHF President and CEO.
New Staff Members
Along with their collective personal experiences of finding a deep sense of purpose through meaningful involvement in the nonprofit field, each of these professionals brings a unique work history and skillset that will contribute to advancing the Foundation’s mission to enhance health in Greater Williamsburg as they engage with Foundation partners and the broader community:
- Alayna Ayers, Grants Assistant, holds a B.A. in Communication Studies with a concentration in Organizational Communications and a minor in English from James Madison University. Alayna is a former grant and program assistant with nonprofit and foundation experience who brings expertise in grant coordination, budgeting, project management, internal and external communications strategies, and survey administration.
- Mary Jo Haselton, Administrative Assistant, holds a B.S. in Psychology from Temple University and brings 15 years of professional administrative support experience from a graduate-level institution where she was progressively promoted throughout her career to Academic Assistant to the Provost.
- Cole Raines, Program & Communications Assistant, holds an A.B. in Government with a secondary concentration in Economics from Harvard College and brings executive non-profit experience in managing grants, providing technical assistance, facilitating community initiatives, and developing and delivering public-facing communications using multifaceted strategies.
Other Foundation News
The WHF Board of Trustees recently adopted an updated strategic framework to guide the Foundation’s community engagement and grantmaking for the next five years (2026-2030), which maintains a commitment to a healthy community for all by supporting organizations working to address underlying factors that influence lifelong health and the well-being of people with low income. The framework is organized around three focus areas and related funding strategies:
- Access to Care: Supporting the availability, affordability, and quality of health-related services, including primary, behavioral, and dental health care as well as access to medications and supportive services.
- Economic Advancement: Advancing financial literacy and capability to access essential resources by supporting educational success for lifelong learners, housing stability, and access to affordable and accessible transportation.
- Healthy Living: Supporting efforts that lower the risk of serious illness through access to adequate nutritious food and opportunities to increase physical activity, healthy lifestyles, and social connection.
“These strategies remain true to the Foundation’s core purpose and reflect what we have learned from community and grantee partners over time,” said Van Hersh. “It reinforces the Foundation’s focus on the conditions that shape health across the lifespan and provides direction for supporting solutions designed to enhance health in Greater Williamsburg.”
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The Williamsburg Health Foundation (WHF) is an independent private health foundation with the mission to enhance health in Greater Williamsburg. The Foundation was established in September 1996 when the Williamsburg Community Hospital and Sentara developed an affiliation agreement and later merged. This agreement included a provision for a new, locally organized, and managed Foundation to benefit community health. Since inception, WHF has awarded over $119 million in grants to improve community health and well-being.