Children’s Trust board member Tiffany Santagati was presented the Yezbak Award for her service to the organization at the September meeting of the board of directors.
The award, which is named for former board chair David Yezbak, highlights Santagati’s commitment to the prevention of child abuse and neglect in South Carolina. Santagati, who currently serves as the vice chair on the board, is a senior vice president and retail banking executive at Community First Bank in the Greenville area.
Tiffany Santagati
“I am so touched and honored by this award. This is an extremely engaged and passionate board, and I am just one of many who are committed to creating a South Carolina free of abuse and neglect for our children,” Santagati said. “To be recognized in a high-performing organization is a humbling experience. I currently serve on three of the five committees, chairing one of them, and every meeting is valuable time spent because the mission and work of the organization is so critical and vital to our community.
She acknowledges the importance of building strong families as a crucial element of a thriving community. That effort begins with nurturing and supporting children in their formative years.
“Every single child deserves the opportunity to grow up in safe environments, surrounded by love and happiness,” she said. “When every child is seen as innately valuable and treated as such, it deepens the opportunities to use their talents to contribute to bettering their life and the lives of others. Quite simply, I am committed to this goal of preventing child abuse and neglect because I believe, as Frederick Douglass did, that ‘It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.’”
Sue Williams
Children’s Trust CEO Sue Williams said the organization is very fortunate to have such committed board members. She noted the annual award is an opportunity to honor the time and energy of the board member who goes above and beyond, which is a real distinction in such a dedicated group.
“Tiffany really demonstrated a high commitment to helping us achieve our mission this year and never hesitates to do her part to make sure Children’s Trust is successful,” Williams said. “She donated a tremendous amount of her time by making many introductions of Children’s Trust to the Greenville area and served on three of our board committees. In addition, she led the board on its efforts to be more diverse and reflective of the diversity of South Carolina. Tiffany is someone we can always count on.”
Santagati has represented the 4th Congressional District since she joined the board in 2016. Her visible presence in the Upstate has played a key role in helping build the organization’s connections in that area. She has actively promoted the mission at Child Abuse Prevention Month events with the city of Greenville and the Greenville County. She also provided support at the 2019 Building Hope for Children Conference held in Greenville as well as the organization’s 2018 Upstate investment announcement. She earned community recognition as one of the Women of Influence by GSA Business Report in 2020.
Steven Moon
Steven Moon, board chair and a Columbia attorney, was pleased to recognize Santagati as the Yezbak Award’s recipient because of what he called her extensive efforts and persistent work to advance the mission of the Children’s Trust.
“She worked to make us a better-known agency in her community. She worked to make us a better-run organization internally,” Moon said. “To support our responsibilities of working to prevent child abuse and neglect, we are dedicated to being a learning and changing organization. Tiffany embraces this process as she shares her thoughts and listens to others. This helps us all improve our efforts for better lives for South Carolina‘s children. We are grateful for her dedication to these efforts.”
A graduate of USC Upstate with a master’s degree in business administration from Webster University, she is excited about the opportunity for the board and organization to lead the agenda as it relates to child and family well-being throughout the state.
“What I think is really impactful and beneficial for the Children’s Trust is how we use research and evidence-based strategies to make decisions and support initiatives,” she said. “This has proven to be a valuable resource in determining the underlying causes and risk factors associated with child abuse and neglect, allowing us to recognize that it is critical that we continue to focus on the entire family as well as the communities in which they live.”
Santagati is the third recipient of the annual award. Jane Pulling and Elizabeth Gressette were named the winners in the award’s first two years of existence.
