Danita V. Knight

Danita V. Knight assumed the position of President and Chief Executive Officer for YWCA Greater Atlanta in January 2023. Prior to accepting this position, Knight served in senior-level marketing, communications, public relations and fundraising capacities with various non-profits, colleges, and campaigns in Atlanta.

Knight is a past Board member of the Atlanta Women’s Foundation (and the first Black Board Chair of that foundation). She was also Chairperson of the 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 Atlanta Women’s Foundation “Numbers Too Big to Ignore” fundraising luncheons. The 2011 luncheon raised $1 million - at that time, the largest amount raised for a luncheon in the organization’s history. Additional present and previous involvements include Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated; the YWCA USA CEO’s Advisory Council, Mayor Dickens’ Women of Atlanta Advisory Council, Leadership Atlanta, International Women’s Forum-Georgia, the Atlanta Civic Collaboratory, Vice-Chairperson of The Brookhaven Social Justice Race and Equity Commission, the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Women’s Solidarity Society; SouthState Bank Advisory Board, Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students Promise All Atlanta Children Thrive Advisory Board; and Advisory Board Member for Lending Hearts, a non-profit in Pittsburgh focused on recreational activities for adolescents with cancer. Knight was part of the original group of “seed funders” responsible for bringing the women’s professional basketball team - the WNBA Dream – to Atlanta.

Knight has also served as Vice President for public affairs and community relations at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Indianapolis, Indiana; director of public relations at Anthem, Inc.(Indianapolis, Indiana); director of communications for the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce; deputy director for communications and public affairs for the Council of State Governments (Lexington, Kentucky); director of media and public relations for the United Way of Central Iowa; assistant, speech writer, scheduler, and public relations director to Iowa’s first female Lieutenant Governor (Jo Ann Zimmerman); information specialist for the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women; and public relations manager for the Iowa Department of Elder Affairs. She started her career as a student morning news anchor and reporter at KOMU-TV; and reporter at the affiliated radio station in Columbia, Missouri.

Knight is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, where she majored in Broadcast Journalism. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, former Atlanta Hawks General Manager Billy Knight. The Knights have two adult daughters: Erika and Olivia and “wonderful grandchildren.”