Hanna Earns 2026 Perdue School Executive Advisory Council Leadership Award
By SU Public Relations
SALISBURY, MD---For more than 55 years, Henry Hanna III has been a real estate and community leader on the Lower Eastern Shore.
The Executive Advisory Council of Salisbury University’s Franklin P. Perdue School of Business recently recognized Hanna for his contributions to the region, presenting him with the Perdue Executive Advisory Council Leadership Award.
For Hanna, retired senior advisor and national chair of industrial properties at SVN | Miller Commercial Real Estate, career evolution included home and condominium sales to complex business transactions and commercial properties. He became a trusted advisor to the Eastern Shore for his industrial specialization, market insight, and integrity.
He served on the SU Foundation, Inc. (SUF) Board of Directors for 20 years, including time as chair, and also on the Perdue School Advisory Board. Through this work, he was the SUF representative for the Chesapeake Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Perdue-Kresge Challenge, securing a $1.6 million endowment. In 2012, he chaired SU’s $30 million Capital Campaign and helped create and chair the SU Real Estate Foundation.
Hanna and his wife, Dara, established the Henry H. “Buddy” Hanna Memorial Award, a scholarship fund that honors Hanna’s father, a businessman, community activist, and legislator from the Eastern Shore. This award funds SU student internships each spring in Annapolis, allowing recipients to work alongside delegates in the Maryland General Assembly.
“Henry’s leadership and connection to SU reflects a belief in the transformative impact of higher education and the importance of sustained philanthropic investment in student success and community development,” said Dr. Christy Weer, dean of the Perdue School. “He strengthened financial stewardship and expanded private support for academic programs, scholarships, and campus priorities.”
In addition to his dedication to SU and several community organizations, Hanna has served on a number of local boards of directors, including those for the Bank of Delmarva, Peninsula Bank, and Salisbury Wicomico Economic Development.
The name of each year’s Perdue Executive Advisory Council Leadership Award winner is engraved on a plaque in Perdue Hall. Each honoree also receives a commemorative award.
Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.
Pictured, from left: Dr. Christy Weer, dean of SU's Franklin P. Perdue School of Business; honoree Henry Hanna; and Perdue School Executive Advisory Council chair Wes Cox, senior advisor SVN Miller Commercial Real Estate.