Chief Philanthropy Officer Agnes McGlone Swanson was raised on Long Island, New York, and moved to Southern California at the age of 14. She attended high school in San Dimas, attended Mt. San Antonio College, and received her degree from California State University, Fullerton in Communications. Wanting a career that was impactful and would provide her the opportunity to help others, Agnes chose the nonprofit field.
After college, Agnes secured a position at the American Heart Association Southern California where she remained for 27 years serving in several capacities, including special events director, senior vice president, major gifts director, staff recruiter, and executive director. Agnes says her passion lies in working with individual and corporate donors to fulfill their philanthropic goals and desires, as well as with staff to work to their full potential and leverage their strengths.
Agnes first learned about The Shea Center in 1997 when working with Dana Butler-Moburg as part of the fundraising team at the American Heart Association in Los Angeles. Dana left the AHA to become the executive director at The Shea Center, and Agnes has been a fan of the Center ever since.
Agnes builds rapport and trust with others quickly and enjoys gathering supporters interested in helping The Shea Center grow. She comments, “Our Shea Center friends want to be involved with our organization and see their generosity make an impact. I am honored to raise funds for this extraordinary place and work with many wonderful volunteers, board members, and donors.” Agnes also enjoys leading the team of fundraising and communications staff at The Shea Center and often refers to them as “The Dream Team”. “We have an exceptional group of professionals doing extraordinary work to raise funds and share our successes and services with the public. I am incredibly proud to be part of such an incredible team of hardworking, kind, and loving people,” she shared.
When not busy raising much-needed funds for The Shea Center, Agnes enjoys time at her home in Laguna Niguel with her husband and two daughters. Her hobbies include traveling, entertaining, career coaching, and hiking (including hiking Half Dome four times!).
