JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Following a year-long search, Empower Missouri announced today that it has selected Mallory Rusch to serve as its next executive director.
Mallory will lead the non-profit’s efforts in strategic planning, development and coalition building to build on the successes of the nonprofit devoted to advocating for basic needs and equal justice for all Missourians.
“We are delighted to welcome Mallory as our new Executive Director,” said Empower Missouri Board Chair Nicole McKoy. “Her impressive career reflects her dedication to social justice and to amplifying the voices of those who often go unheard.”
Rusch brings extensive non-profit management experience to Empower Missouri. She comes to the organization from Gladiator Consulting, where she served as its Senior Consultant for five years, supporting dozens of nonprofit organizations with fundraising, communications, board/staff development, and strategic planning. As a consultant, she was also able to expand her work outside of Missouri, serving organizations in rural Arkansas, New Orleans, DC, and as far as Brussels, Belgium and Reykjavik, Iceland.
“In both my professional and personal life, I strive to be a public servant,” said Rusch. “I am honored to join the team at Empower Missouri, an organization that embodies my own core values of justice and equity.”
Rusch has nearly two decades of experience in growing community-based organizations and leading their teams to success. Most recently, she served as the campaign manager leading the charge in support of Proposition D in the City of St. Louis, a key election reform initiative that passed overwhelmingly in 2020. Prior to joining the team at Gladiator, Rusch held key leadership positions at Teach For America, The Mission Continues, & the Center for Women in Transition. Within these organizations, Rusch developed a reputation as a resourceful, strategic leader, consistently setting and achieving ambitious goals in service of organizational missions.
Rusch holds a master’s degree in public service from the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, Arkansas. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Immigrant Home English Learning Program (I-HELP) and as a lay leader with the Ecumenical Catholic Communion.
“Mallory’s reputation as an effective and empathetic leader precedes her, and every step of her career has been informed by her ability to solve complex problems in innovative, community-first ways,” Board Chair McKoy said. “We look forward to her impact on the future of Empower Missouri and those we serve, as we invite innovation and community into our work towards securing basic needs and justice for all who live in our state.”
