Bio
Melanie Harrington serves as the Senior Director of Affiliate Leadership, Organizational Development, & Equity and Inclusion at the ACLU. In this role, she leads the Organizational Management, Equity, and Inclusion (OMEI) team within the Affiliate Support and Nationwide Initiatives department. Her team supports ACLU affiliates across the country in advancing strategic growth, organizational resilience, inclusive workplace culture, and financial and operational strength through national programming, tailored consultation, practical tools, and collaborative learning.
This marks Melanie’s second tenure with the ACLU. She originally joined the organization after nearly two decades as an executive director of two nonprofit organizations. Prior to rejoining the ACLU, she served as Director of External Affairs for Inclusive Experiences and Technology at Amazon, where she led strategic external partnerships.
In her prior executive director roles, Melanie was the first President and CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh, a regional economic development nonprofit focused on workforce diversity, and previously led the American Institute for Managing Diversity (AIMD), a pioneering think tanks founded in 1984 by thought leader, Dr. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr. to advance the field of strategic diversity management and the evolution of diversity, equity and inclusion. She also served as General Counsel for D.J. Miller & Associates, a national consulting firm advising government agencies on equal opportunity policies and practices.
Melanie secured her bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and Juris Doctorate, from the Emory University School of Law. A recognized DEI practitioner and thought leader, Melanie contributed to the Diversity Management Handbook and has been a frequent speaker on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, nonprofit leadership, and organizational development.