Stanley Black & Decker’s Donald Allan Jr. named Els for Autism board chair
- Donald Allan Jr., executive chair of Stanley Black & Decker, named chair of Els for Autism board.
- Stanley Black & Decker funded and named the vocational lab ($100,000) and pledged $5 million for the gym.
- Allan says Stanley Black & Decker emphasizes people, brands, innovation, and corporate responsibility for inclusion and opportunity.
Stanley Black & Decker executive to chair autism foundation board
Corporate partnership deepens with leadership appointment
On Feb. 17, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida, Els for Autism names Donald Allan Jr., executive chair of Stanley Black & Decker, as its new board chair, reinforcing a growing corporate partnership between the power-tool maker and the nonprofit. Allan’s appointment follows a period of engagement that began when he was introduced to the foundation through its annual Golf Challenge regional event series and a visit to The Els Center of Excellence in Jupiter.
Allan is credited with securing Stanley Black & Decker as a national sponsor of the Golf Challenge in 2023, leading a $100,000 donation to name and equip a vocational lab in the Stoops Family Adult Services Building and guiding a subsequent $5 million pledge to name the gymnasium within the Specialized Autism Friendly Recreation Complex. The lab, designated the Stanley Black & Decker Lab, provides hands-on carpentry and woodworking training for autistic adults, while the recreation complex is slated to open in spring 2027.
Allan frames the company’s role as rooted in its people, brands and innovation and stresses a corporate responsibility to ensure inclusion and opportunity. Els for Autism co-founder Ernie Els, donor Marvin Shanken and his spouse Liezl express confidence that Allan’s leadership and the company’s material contributions of tools, equipment and financial investment will accelerate facility development, expand program capacity and broaden the foundation’s global reach.
Program expansion and workforce focus
Els for Autism, headquartered in Jupiter, offers research-based programs across the lifespan, including education, vocational training, adult services, family support and recreation. The foundation says Allan’s business and philanthropic experience, combined with Stanley Black & Decker’s support, is intended to strengthen workforce-readiness outcomes for participants and help scale services that prepare autistic individuals for vocational opportunities.
Facilities, timelines and material support
The partnership emphasizes practical, skills-based initiatives: the Stanley Black & Decker Lab targets carpentry and woodworking competencies that map to employment pathways, and the donation to the recreation complex aims to create inclusive community spaces. The foundation and company continue coordinating equipment provision and project timelines ahead of the recreation complex opening in spring 2027.