Virginia Knowlton Marcus joined the DRNC team as the CEO in September 2018. Virginia is an attorney with lived experience who has been advocating for disability rights in multiple states, federally and internationally for the past 30 years. Her prior positions include executive director at Disability Rights Maryland, director of legal advocacy and director of public policy at Disability Rights California, executive director at the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation, and fellow with the California Assembly Ways & Means Committee.
Virginia is a National Disability Rights Network board and legislative committee member, chairs the NC Equal Justice Alliance, and is a member of the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission, NC Mental Health Block Grant Planning and Advisory Council, NC Council on Developmental Disabilities, and NC Traumatic Brain Injury Advisory Council. She is a Leadership North Carolina alumnus and current Leadership Triangle participant.
Virginia completed her RYT-200 yoga certification in January 2016 and has been active in the accessible yoga movement since 2015. She earned her J.D. and B.A. in international relations at the University of California, Davis. She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband, Michael, and their German Shepherd, Rosie.