BALTIMORE (September 18, 2019) – The NAACP is pleased to announce that Tori O’Neal-McElrath will serve as its new Chief of External Affairs. Tori will be responsible for promoting the public image of the NAACP and advancing its financial sustainability. She has nearly three decades of executive-level experience in external affairs and organizational development with a broad range of nonprofit organizations.

“I am excited to add Tori to the outstanding and growing team we have here at the NAACP,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “Tori brings a long successful track record with her that will be an invaluable asset to the organization as we continue to restructure our efforts to advance our advocacy strategy.”

Most recently, Tori was the Vice President of External Affairs at Demos, a national think tank based in New York that produces policy research and voter protection litigation through a racial equity frame. Prior to her time at Demos, Tori was with Community Change in Washington, DC as the Director of Institutional Advancement, where she created and implemented strategies to significantly increase the fundraising capacity and brand positioning of both the c(3) and c(4) organizations.

 Tori serves on the board of the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation in Washington DC, and is currently Chair of the Governance Committee. She is also a member of the Montgomery County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated.  A published author since 2008, her most recent work is a book is titled Winning Grants, Step by Step, 5th Edition, which was released this year in July by Wiley Publications.

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About the NAACP:

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas here.