Leadership & Board

Mary Jalonick

Mary Jalonick, retired president of The Dallas Foundation, was the organization’s first full-time employee in 1987 when it had endowment of $15 million and a one part-time accountant. Under Jalonick’s leadership, The Dallas Foundation became a charitable powerhouse with a staff of 19 employees, hundreds of donors as well as unrestricted funds totaling approximately $340 million. It is the oldest community foundation in Texas, established in 1929 to serve as a link between donors and charitable causes in the city and county of Dallas. In 2017, the foundation awarded more than $80 million in grants to nonprofit organizations in Dallas and beyond. Jalonick is a long-time advocate for quality learning for all children, and she continues to do that work.

Jalonick also participates in several national initiatives for the Council on Foundations. She is past chair of the National Standards Action team and a current member of the Community Foundation Standards Advisory Committee. In November 2016, she received the inaugural Early Matters Dallas Award for community involvement; she also serves as chair of its policy committee.

Jalonick graduated from Mount Vernon Junior College in Washington, D.C., and she has received a number of other awards and honors for her work, including the 2012 Award for Excellence in Community Service from the Dallas Historical Society for outstanding contributions in philanthropy. She is a member of the Junior League of Dallas community advisory board and the Mayor’s Taskforce on Poverty; she has served as president of the board of trustees for The Hockaday School, Girls’ Adventure Trails, Educational Opportunities Inc. and Charter 100 of Dallas.