Harriet Sanford, President and CEO of the NEA Foundation, is a former public school teacher and the parent of a Maryland public school student.  Sanford's senior executive career spans more than 30 years, including 25 years as the President and Chief Executive Officer of nonprofit organizations including the Arts and Science Council in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Fulton County Arts Council in Georgia. 

Previously, Sanford spent 10 years in leadership positions in the City of Atlanta government.  During this period she developed the cultural plan for the 1996 Olympic Games.  Prior to joining the NEA Foundation, Sanford served as the primary consultant to “South by South Africa: Crafting Cultural Understanding,” a project that built economic links and cultural understanding between South Africa and U.S. partner cities.

Sanford has managed annual budgets of more than $18 million and capital funds of $200 million.  A recognized specialist in the field of charitable fundraising, Sanford has led several initiatives that have raised more than $55,000,000 to support the mission of various nonprofit organizations.  She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of some 10 nonprofit organizations, having contributed her vision and managerial expertise to institutions including a merger of The National Association of Local Arts Agencies and The American Council for the Arts that resulted in the major arts advocacy organization Americans for The Arts.

Sanford's contributions to the advancement of arts education, culture, and cultural understanding have been recognized by numerous nonprofit organizations including the North Carolina Arts Education Association, Americans for the Arts, National Black Arts Festival, the National Association of Counties, and The Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.  Through the generous support of grants from the Rockefeller Foundation and the Ford Foundation, Sanford also served as a United States Information Agency (USIA) fellow to South Africa in the late 1990s.  She currently serves on the Boards of The NAMES Project Foundation, Americans for the Arts, Hispanic College Fund and the DC Jazz Festival.

Sanford holds an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree and a BA in Education from New England College, as well as a MPA from the University of Connecticut.