ATLANTA — As she enters her 10th year with the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia Inc., Executive Director Andrea Young announces her retirement in Spring 2026.
Under her leadership, the ACLU of Georgia has made a profound impact on the civil rights and civil liberties of all Georgians, especially in voting rights. Ms. Young’s achievements include preventing purges of tens of thousands of registered voters; expanding when and where Georgians can vote early; creating a project that deploys lawyers and volunteers to defend voting rights at every level of government; equipping Georgians to petition their representatives at the state Capitol and express their views publicly; suing the state to protect reproductive rights; training hundreds of advocates across the state; and increasing the number of elected officials who support civil liberties by robustly engaging and educating the voting public.
Ms. Young’s strong leadership has ensured that ACLU of Georgia is well positioned to continue the fight for civil liberties in 2026 and beyond. Even in challenging environments such as the difficult years of the COVID pandemic, Ms. Young led the development of an engaged, diverse, and highly skilled Board of Directors; oversaw enormous growth in the number of ACLU supporters and volunteers in Georgia; and exponentially increased the organization’s income, staff, and programmatic impact.
“Serving the people of Georgia at the ACLU of Georgia is the capstone of my career promoting human and civil rights,” said Andrea Young, executive director, ACLU of Georgia. “I believe Georgia can live up to the ideals and aspirations of our Nobel Peace Prize winners – President Jimmy Carter and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I am proud and grateful to have built a sustainable organization and developed committed young leaders who will continue to move the state toward that goal.”
“We give our heartfelt thanks to Andrea for her exceptional leadership, stewardship, and vision, as well as a congratulations on her deserved retirement,” said Jack Kennedy, board president of the ACLU of Georgia. “Although we will dearly miss her, she leaves a legacy of a highly capable staff and ongoing programmatic excellence.”
“Andrea Young has been a transformational leader who built the ACLU of Georgia into a juggernaut for justice,” said Anthony Romero, executive director of ACLU. “She provided a steady hand as well as visionary leadership during some of the most challenging times in the state. Many of the greatest challenges confronting Georgia – from police abuse to voting rights and election suppression – became national issues that gripped the nation. Andrea led the charge to ensure that the civil liberties and civil rights of everyone in Georgia were respected. By providing outstanding leadership for over nine years in Georgia, she bent the arc of justice not just in that state but across the entire country.”
The ACLU of Georgia has partnered with Boardwalk Consulting to recruit the organization’s next leader. More information on the position can be found at this link and inquiries can be directed to [email protected].
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