Danielle Leahy

Danielle Leahy serves as Assistant Executive Director for Development at the National Association for Music Education, where she leads fundraising initiatives and strategic partnerships that advance the organization’s mission to support music educators and champion equitable access to music education. In this role, she oversees revenue development efforts that align stakeholder interests with transformational outcomes and NAfME’s long-term strategic priorities.

Danielle has successfully led multimillion-dollar grassroots, national, and international fundraising campaigns and developed innovative advancement strategies that drive organizational growth and mission impact. She has built and revitalized development programs from the ground up, strengthened stakeholder engagement, increased revenue, and led initiatives supporting capital projects, program expansion, and community-based impact.

Prior to joining NAfME, Danielle served in chief development officer and senior leadership roles across the education, healthcare, faith-based, and human services sectors.

Danielle holds an MBA from Utica University and a Bachelor’s degree in Communication and Media from Nazareth University of Rochester.

A classically trained soprano and lifelong advocate for arts education, she believes deeply in the power of music to inspire creativity, foster connection, and transform lives. She resides in Upstate New York with her husband and daughter.