Tennessee Program Director of Welcoming Places, Trust for Public Land
Daniela joined the Trust for Public Land in 2018 to bring a strategic, informed approach to our work with communities. As a brown, immigrant social worker from Chile, Daniela’s personal, professional, and volunteer experiences have given her a comprehensive understanding of community dynamics, especially relating to disenfranchised populations. With a Bachelors degree in Social Work, and 15 years of experience working with non-profits, city government, a juvenile detention center, and public schools, Daniela has adeptly cultivated both neighborhood and institutional partnerships that bring stakeholders like residents, community leaders, and faith-based organizations to the forefront of the planning process. Leveraging the vision and creativity of local artists, Daniela’s work provides space for all ages to lend a voice and a hand in community development. Although her work is based primarily in Chattanooga, Daniela seeks to create replicable community strategies, such as the recent East Lake Free Family Photo Day, which gave families the chance to have professional photographs taken in their neighborhood park. Daniela has presented at national placemaking convenings, and has received recognition for her work in Chattanooga, including Footprint Foundation’s Footprint Award (2019), La Paz Chattanooga’s Latino Leadership Award (2017), and a recent feature on the Benwood Foundation blog. Daniela serves on the Board of the Community Foundation for Greater Chattanooga and lives with her husband Paul, and dog Willow.