Darra Gordon (she/her) is a visionary and strategic leader with over two decades of transformative impact in the nonprofit sector. She is adept at steering organizations towards groundbreaking growth through innovative strategies, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to social justice.
Darra most recently served as the Deputy President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) at GLAAD, the world’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy organization. In these roles, Darra oversaw the organization’s day-to-day operations including the fundraising and development, HR, IT and finance departments. She also led and created GLAAD’s current five-year transformational strategic plan and expanded GLAAD’s capacity and programs centered in diversity, equity, and inclusion. Darra joined GLAAD as COO in 2018 and developed the organization during a time of rapid growth which saw GLAAD more than triple its annual operating budget and fundraising goals.
She previously spent over 15 years at Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI), the nation’s oldest and largest LGBTQ+ youth service organization, where she achieved national expansion for the organization. She led fundraising efforts that tripled HMI’s budget and championed technology innovation to amplify programmatic impact.
Darra’s work has won her accolades, including the BMW Woman of Xcellence award, the Stonewall Honors for LGBTQ leadership, and the outstanding alumni award at her alma mater, Lycoming College.
Darra serves as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors at Black Trans Femmes in the Arts, Advisory Board of HabitQueer, and is a member of her community’s Board of Education.
Darra received her MS in Nonprofit Management from the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment at the New School University, and her BA in Philosophy and Psychology from Lycoming College in Pennsylvania.
Darra lives in New York with her wife Nicole, their three children, and their two dogs, Jasper and Pepper.