Virginia Knowlton Marcus joined Team DRNC as CEO in September 2018. Virginia is an attorney with lived experience who has advocated for disability justice across the USA and beyond for 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 officer and legislative committee member and participates on the NC Equal Justice Alliance, 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, Leadership Triangle, and Leadership Raleigh alumnus. Recent professional recognitions include Triangle Business Journal’s Corporate Leadership (2024) and NC Lawyers Weekly’s Leaders in the Law (2023) awards.
Virginia earned her J.D. and B.A. in international relations at the University of California, Davis. She lives between Raleigh and Durham, NC with her husband, Michael, and their wonderful German Shepherd Dog, Rosie.