Having partnered with CCA for several years, Nancy Kern Eaton is proud to join the organization’s Board of Directors!

Nancy has served in leadership roles in the nonprofit sector for more than 35 years. She began her nonprofit career as a client advocate at the Erie County Mental Health Association. After moving to the Syracuse area, Nancy joined Housing Visions Unlimited, Inc., a new nonprofit organization dedicated to providing quality affordable housing.

Nancy participated in a grant application that led to Syracuse being designated as the first Weed and Seed community in New York. The Syracuse Weed & Seed Community Partnership was launched as a division of Home HeadQuarters, and Nancy served as the director of Weed & Seed as well as community services manager of Home HeadQuarters.

Nancy’s journey continued when she became the director of development and public relations for the Salvation Army of the Syracuse Area. During her tenure, Nancy led endowment and capital campaigns as part of the organization’s 125th anniversary celebration.

In 2010, Nancy took on the role of chief development officer at ARISE, an organization that partners with people with disabilities to advance independence and remove barriers, through advocacy and services, so that every person has the freedom to pursue the life they choose. After creating the ARISE Foundation, Nancy recruited a passionate group of people who worked to secure vital resources to support ARISE’s work. Supervising the integrated recreation programs at ARISE at the Farm and successfully leading the effort to build a 20,000 square foot completely accessible playground at the farm were particularly rewarding for Nancy.

After becoming president of the United Way of Central New York in 2017, Nancy was proud to broaden the number of partnerships and coalitions, create new affinity groups, celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary, and play a key role in the community’s response to the COVID shutdown in 2020. During her tenure, United Way expanded programs focused on literacy, workforce development, financial literacy, and assisting people in crisis. As part of her role, Nancy was passionate in her efforts to create greater understanding of human needs, and the impacts of inequitable systems and policies.

Nancy formed Nancy Eaton Consulting in 2026, partnering with individuals and organizations to build capacity, increase impact, and strengthen communities.