Dakota Grilli

I serve as the Director of Community Development for Pensacola Habitat for Humanity, where I've been working in the nonprofit field for almost 5 years. My program offers assistance for home repairs and other services that can enhance the quality of life for residents in two counties. We focus on engaging and empowering residents to revive their neighborhoods and become leaders in their communities. The repairs we handle are critical home repairs, things that sustain the homeowner and help them stay in their home. They can also be aging-in-place modifications. We look at roofs, windows, doors, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, ramps, walk-in showers, grab bars, those types of things. In my time as Director, I've completed over 150 home repairs across two counties and grown the program's budget to $1.3 million. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Human Services in 2022. I'm a member of the Pensacola Young Professionals and was featured in Inweekly's 2026 Rising Stars. Outside of work, I'm a mother and wife with a young son, so a lot of my weekends are spent with my son and my family. I'm also interested in woodworking and being engaged in the community. It's nice to build that trust and be relatable and have rapport with the residents in the area. I love that Pensacola is really becoming a rising culinary arts destination with lots of fine dining options, so I've been enjoying that as well.