Chloe Knight Tonney joined the Trident United Way team in 2019 as president and chief executive officer. Trident United Way was established as the Community Chest in Charleston, SC in 1944. Today, its mission is to be a catalyst for measurable community transformation through collective impact in education, financial stability and health. In 2021, Trident United Way‘s work improved the lives of more than a quarter of a million residents
of the lowcountry of South Carolina. United Way was again voted “America’s Favorite Charity” in 2021 by the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Previously she served for 17 years at the National Foundation for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, most recently as the Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer. In this role she worked nationally and globally to catalyze creative partnerships to advance CDC’s mission to protect the health, safety and security of all Americans.
Tonney has more than 30 years of overall nonprofit advancement, strategy and management experience, with deep expertise in higher education and in building scientific public-private partnerships. Prior to joining the CDC Foundation, Tonney was the director of leadership gifts at Agnes Scott College in Atlanta, overseeing a six-fold growth in attracting resources and partners to the institution.
Tonney’s experience includes work as a trustee, board member and board chair for local and national nonprofit organizations. Currently she serves as a member of the One Region Executive Committee and a member of the College of Charleston Foundation’s Advancement Committee. She is a member of the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Tonney is an alumna of Leadership DeKalb (Atlanta) and a Riley Institute Diversity Fellow, Furman University. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from the College of Charleston in Charleston, S.C. and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the College of Charleston. Her husband, Rick, is a graduate of The Citadel.