Honoring The Legacy Of Kim Gandy Upon Her Retirement

August 7, 2019

After leading the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) for almost seven years, Kim Gandy will be retiring from her role as President and CEO on August 9, 2019. Gandy has nurtured the organization through significant, sustained growth.

Kim Gandy has been a dedicated leader in the movement to end domestic violence for more than 46 years. Her long career in advocacy, legislative reform and coalition-building includes areas such as violence against women, family law, workplace fairness, poverty and economic issues, and social security. From her start as a young activist in her home state of Louisiana, to her participation in the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 (and its subsequent reauthorizations), and her tenures with National Organization for Women and the Feminist Majority Foundation, Kim has proven to be a committed ally and an invaluable asset to the movement to end violence against women.

“As President and CEO of NNEDV, Kim has been a fearless leader for the organization, using her keen instincts and expertise to grow NNEDV into the thriving organization it is today,” said Jenny Backus, NNEDV Board Chair. “Thanks to Kim’s guidance, NNEDV has been able to double in size, increasing our ability to better serve our member coalitions, advocates, and survivors across the country. We are so grateful for her vision and leadership.”

Kim worked closely with then-Senator Joe Biden and then-Congresswoman Barbara Boxer on the passage and funding of VAWA, and helped organize 200,000 people to rally in Washington the following year in a call for the release of VAWA funding. And she worked with Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney for passage and funding of the 2004 Debbie Smith Act, a law that supports the prosecution of criminal offenders and which expanded VAWA legal assistance to include survivors of dating violence. Kim has also worked extensively toward expanded protections from violence for women, including women in the workplace.

At Feminist Majority and the Feminist Majority Foundation, Kim Gandy led a successful campaign to modernize the FBI Uniform Crime Report definition of rape. She spent 22 years in executive leadership, including as president, of the National Organization for Women (NOW), where she served on the legislative drafting committees for the Civil Rights Act of 1991 and the 1994 Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, and during her work with both organizations was a guiding force in many landmark cases and legislative gains, such as the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009. As a lead organizer, Gandy’s expertise in mass actions helped ensure that 1.2 million activists made the 2004 March for Women’s Lives the largest and most diverse grassroots mobilization in our nation’s history.

“While we were saddened when Kim announced her retirement, we celebrate not only her time and impact on NNEDV, but also the incredible impact she’s had on the movement to end violence against women at large,” said Backus. “We are truly excited for her as she starts a new chapter in her life!”

In honor of Kim Gandy, NNEDV established the Emerging Leaders Initiative, which will assist in providing a stipend to NNEDV’s emerging leaders during their internship. NNEDV is proud to host future advocates from across the country throughout the year through our internship program, and we hope their time with us will inspire these Emerging Leaders to forge an undaunted commitment to the movement to end violence against women and girls. Donate here.