As Chief Executive Officer, Flozell Daniels, Jr. leads the overall operations of the Foundation, from grantmaking to investing, communications and strategy, providing both organizational and field leadership. Flozell represents MRBF’s programs and vision for change to our grantee and philanthropic partners, as well as the general public. He partners closely with the board of directors to ensure the Foundation remains on the cutting edge of sound strategic decisions and field-leading philanthropic transformation.
Flozell previously served as CEO and President of the Foundation for Louisiana, which launched in 2005 to foster an equitable recovery from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. It has since grown to become a “catalyst for justice,” supporting communities statewide through grantmaking and loan products, leadership development programs, and advocating on myriad issues facing Louisianians, including climate justice, economic justice, criminal justice reform, racial and gender justice, and more. Prior to his 14+ years leading FFL, Flozell was Assistant Vice President and Executive Director of State and Local Affairs for Tulane University and served in the Mayor’s Office during Marc Morial’s tenure as Public Policy Specialist in the Division of Federal and State Programs.
Flozell has always worked with the understanding that the fates of all Southern people are tied together. From his early work on the Equity and Inclusion Campaign covering Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama to his cofounding of Grantmakers for Southern Progress, Flozell holds a longstanding commitment to building the South’s infrastructure for justice and power. Flozell brings expertise in public policy, community development, criminal justice reform, climate policy, transit equity and asset development. Flozell recently completed a five-year term as chairman of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, leading the agency through a return to full public accountability, a nationally recognized COVID response, and success in meeting its equity goals. He is also board member emeritus of the Urban League of Louisiana and served with distinction on the Louisiana Public Defender Board and the Governor’s Climate Initiatives Taskforce in Louisiana. He is a 2013 graduate of University of Oxford Said Business School's Impact Investing Programme, 2011 Fellow of the Opportunity Agenda Communications Institute, a life Fellow of the Louisiana Effective Leadership Program, an alumnus of Leadership Louisiana and a graduate of the Metropolitan Leadership Forum. Flozell holds a Master’s in Business Administration from the A.B. Freeman School of Tulane University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biological Sciences from the University of New Orleans.
A New Orleans native raised in the Freret and New Orleans East neighborhoods, Flozell enjoys traveling, loves spending time with his family, and can typically be found at a second line, festival, or any other celebration of the South’s incredible culture.