
MERLE MCGEE (she/her)
President & CEO
Merle McGee is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Everyday Democracy. Merle brings over 25 years’ experience in non-profit settings fighting alongside historically marginalized and excluded communities for dignity and racial, gender, and economic justice. Before joining Everyday Democracy in May 2022, Merle served as Chief Equity and Engagement Officer at Planned Parenthood of Greater New York, where she led organizational transformation through community engagement initiatives and by conceiving and implementing Reviving Radical, an initiative to reckon with the organization’s history and build accountable relationships with communities of color.
Prior to her work at Planned Parenthood, Merle served as Chief Program Officer at YWCA of the City of New York and taught non-profit consulting and Race and Identity in Organizations at New York University’s Robert F. Wagner School of Public Service.
Merle earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts, and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Management from the New School. She is also co-facilitator and leader with the Anti-Racist Alliance and the co-founder of the The BIPOC Project, an antiracist collective committed to building solidarity among people of color. Merle received the inaugural Planned Parenthood Federation A.P.P.L.E Justice award for Reviving Radical and was named City & State’s 50 over Fifty Influential New Yorker in 2021.
To reach the Office of President & CEO, please contact Executive Assistant and Special Projects Coordinator Kimberly McCrae at kmccrae@everyday-democracy.org or (860) 727-5927.
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
Merle is a frequent speaker and contributor at conferences, campuses, community events, and podcasts. She hosts the virtual conversation series Doing Democracy.
Signature Topics
- Transforming the Myth of Polarization
- Truth, Reckoning, and Repair
- From Multiracial Society to Multiracial Democracy
- We Are Our Institutions
- Democracy Beyond Elections
- Do’s and Don’ts of Dialogue
Testimonials
“Merle’s insightful remarks made her the stand-out speaker.”
—Event Organizer, NYU Center for International Collaboration
“A dynamic conversation!”
—Kristine Michie, host of The PlayFull Podcast
“As you listen to this conversation and hear our discussion, you will see why Merle is now one of my favorite people.”
—Antionette D. Carroll, host of Reimagining & Redesigning Podcast
Recent Talks & Appearances
- Where Democracy Begins, ThoughtMatter Rally for Reproductive Rights
- United Nations Roundtable on Polarization and Disinformation
- Reimagining & Redesigning Democracy, Reimagining & Redesigning Podcast with Antionette D. Carroll
- The Promise, Practice, and Purpose of Everyday Democracy, PlayFull Podcast with Kristine Michie
- Rest, Resilience, and Joy in Tough Times, PlayFull Podcast with Kristine Michie
For bookings and invitations, please contact Executive Assistant and Special Projects Coordinator Kimberly McCrae at kmccrae@everyday-democracy.org or (860) 727-5927.