This year’s Southern California Association of Healthcare Development Outstanding Leader Award was presented to Wayne Herron, chief philanthropy officer at Glendale Memorial Health Foundation, Dignity Health – Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center in Glendale.

Herron has been a professional fundraiser since 1996. During his career, he has worked in education and healthcare in faith-based and secular environments. His specialty is in board and staff team building, and in working with individual principal, major and planned giving donors. He also specializes in organizational community relations and engagement. He is committed to the notion that philanthropy is about “people loving people” and in his work serves to facilitate this understanding through smart, effective charitable giving. He is passionate about leadership development and has enjoyed leading strong, successful and happy teams. Over the course of his career, Herron’s teams have raised over $100 million.

“Wayne chose a profession based on his passion – to help others. It’s evident in his daily work and his commitment to support Glendale Memorial Hospital through his dedicated fundraising efforts,” said Julie Sprengel, interim president, Glendale Memorial Hospital. “He is a shining example of philanthropy and we congratulate him on the well-deserved award.”

Herron was born and raised in Burbank. He was named graduate of the year in 1988 when he completed his studies for the Bachelor of Science degree at New Hope Christian College in Eugene, Oregon. In 1993, he earned his Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena. Initially, Herron pursued pastoral church ministry, but his professional path turned to philanthropy.

Herron began his career in philanthropy in 1996 at Fuller Theological Seminary as a major gift officer. After a short stay at Occidental College, he moved onto Azusa Pacific University in 2001 where he led their major gifts program. Herron was recruited to Art Center College of Design in 2007 and served as the head of their development program. In 2013, he transitioned to the Glendale Memorial Health Foundation at Dignity Health – Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center.

Five key strengths guide his life: developer (seeing and nurturing the potential in people), belief (core values driven), positivity (focus on good and celebrating achievements), discipline (operating from well thought-out plans; preference for order and structure) and includer (to care for and see the value in all people). These qualities define him and he seeks to live them in his professional and personal life.

Herron is a member of a number of professional, volunteer and educational organizations including the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). He is an active leader of AFP currently serving as president of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter. He is on the board for Southern California Association for Healthcare Development (of AHP) serving as AFP Liaison. Herron also serves on the board of directors of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the board of directors for the Arts High Foundation, the fundraising arm of the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts (LACHSA).

In 2016, Herron was selected by Dignity Health to represent the company by participating in the inaugural Executive Fellowship Program by the Health System Philanthropy Leadership Group.

Herron resides in La Cañada. He and his wife Yvonne have been married for 24 years. They have three sons: Kyle, a recent graduate of Chapman University in Orange; Ryan, a sophomore at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; and Jeremy, a senior at LACHSA. Herron is active in his faith, an avid sports fan, and enjoys traveling, exercising, reading, golfing, and gardening.