The New York Civil Liberties Union today announced the appointment of Dr. Danielle Moss as chief of staff. Moss comes to the NYCLU from the YWCA of the City of New York where she was the president and chief executive officer. As chief of staff, Moss will increase collaboration and accountability across departments, facilitate strategic thinking and develop management systems and procedures.
“Danielle is not only passionate about the mission of the NYCLU, but she has the experience we need managing large organizations through transformational change and growth,” said NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman. “With the Trump regime wreaking havoc, we have to be on our game. Danielle will strengthen our team in so many ways that will help the NYCLU be as effective as we can be.”
Dr. Moss brings to the NYCLU more than 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership. She most recently served as the CEO of both the YWCA of the City of New York and the Harlem Educational Activities Fund. Moss currently serves as co-chair of the Human Services Council Racial Equity Working Group and is a member of the NYC Commission for Gender Equity. Until recently Moss was President and Chair of Black Agency Executives. In 2015 Moss was tapped by New York City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito to co-chair the council’s Young Women’s Initiative, a citywide effort to remove the systemic barriers to achievement that disproportionally effect girls of color.
“I am thrilled to join the NYCLU at a transformative and critical moment,” said Moss. “As a native New Yorker, former teacher, school administrator, youth worker and advocate, I have been a longtime supporter and admirer of the NYCLU. After a period of enormous growth at the organization, I look forward to ensuring we remain nimble and powerful, and that our teams remain supported in doing the hard work of protecting the civil liberties and civil rights of all New Yorkers.”
The chief of staff position is new at the NYCLU, created to manage enormous organizational growth and challenges in the wake of last year’s election of President Trump. Since the election the NYCLU has nearly tripled its membership to 170,000 people statewide. Dr. Moss will play a critical role across all NYCLU departments, helping the organization achieve its mission and embody its values. She will manage strategic planning and other change initiatives, promote collaboration and communication, and ensure alignment between strategy, structure and organizational culture.
Dr. Moss completed her Doctorate of Education, Organization, and Leadership at the Teachers College of Columbia University, where she also completed her M.Ed. and M.A. in Educational Administration. She is a graduate of Swarthmore College.
