WASHINGTON – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is pleased to announce that Salena Jegede is joining the organization as chief development officer.
Salena is a fundraising and management professional with an impressive 20-year career promoting education, voting rights, and civic engagement. She has a proven track record of developing and executing plans that have increased partner engagement, furthered social justice, and netted over $700 million in total resources.
Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee, said, “The Lawyers’ Committee is extremely fortunate to have Salena join our team. She has achieved tremendous success in her career as a fundraiser and institutional leader, with a demonstrated track record of building infrastructure and growing support for mission-driven organizations. Salena is joining the Lawyers’ Committee at a critical time when civil rights are under vicious attack. As she begins this important role, Salena understands and embraces the challenge and the opportunity these times bring. I know she will be instrumental in helping to garner new and increased support to advance our mission at a time when the Lawyers’ Committee is needed like never before.”
Prior to joining the Lawyers’ Committee, Salena was the senior vice president for institutional advancement at her undergraduate alma mater, Spelman College, which U.S. News has ranked first on the list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) 19 years in a row. Under her leadership, the school raised over $200 million, increased alumnae participation, and modernized its online giving platform.
Salena said, “I am honored to join the Lawyers’ Committee at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. The organization’s mission to use legal advocacy to achieve racial justice is fundamental to preserving and building upon the civil rights we have secured thus far. I am excited to build power with our partners as we strive towards our common goals.”
Salena was the first person of color to serve as chief advancement officer for the Sierra Club in the environmental organization’s 130-year history. She led a department of nearly 80 staff that fostered an inclusive culture and raised annual revenues of over $150 million.
While serving as managing director of Fair Fight Action, Salena directed a diverse national team of nearly 40 professionals across 11 departments and helped raise over $110 million to protect voting rights in the pivotal 2020 election year.
As national finance director for the Stacey Abrams for Governor campaign in 2018, she led a team that raised more than any other gubernatorial campaign in Georgia’s history.
Salena holds a B.A. in political science from Spelman College and an M.A. in political science from Georgia State University. She is a member of Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, established in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that fights for racial justice through litigation, advocacy, and public education. The organization’s work focuses on protecting voting rights, advancing economic justice, ensuring equal educational opportunities, and combating racial discrimination in all its forms.
