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Who We Are | Worldwide Staff
Dress for Success Worldwide was formed in New York City in 1999. In addition to offering assistance to affiliates around the globe, Dress for Success Worldwide staff members oversee major fundraising efforts, worldwide corporate sponsorships, policy development and implementation, brand management,
S.O.S. - Send One Suit - Weekend, the two annual meetings (the Professional Women's Group Success Summit and the affiliate leadership conference) and organizational expansion.
Dress for Success Worldwide
32 East 31st Street
Seventh Floor
New York, NY 10016
Telephone: 212.532.1922
Fax: 212.684.9563
worldwide@dressforsuccess.org
Joi Gordon, Chief Executive Officer
joi@dressforsuccess.org
Joi Gordon joined Dress for Success as the executive director of the New York program in 1999 and in 2002 took over leadership of Dress for Success Worldwide. One of Joi's primary goals is to ensure that Dress for Success becomes recognized as an acknowledged leader in promoting the economic and social development of disadvantaged women while expanding the organization's reach so that more and more women across the globe will have access to the resources and tools they need to succeed in the workplace.
One of Joi's proudest accomplishments is to have succeeded in building a team of passionate, dedicated and talented staff who will make these objectives a reality. Assembling such a capable group has enabled Dress for Success to improve the services that it offers to its clients, who now number more than 50,000 worldwide each year. In addition, the staff has expanded and strengthened the organization's affiliate network and increased the support that is offered to its members.
"I am incredibly fortunate to have a job that combines my commitment to public service with my passion for women's issues," says Joi.
As the CEO of Worldwide, Joi spearheaded a rebranding of Dress for Success, complete with a new mission statement, tagline and logo. Under her leadership the organization has increased its focus to include employment retention in addition to suiting. Dress for Success now supports women as they find and retain employment and helps them turn their jobs into rewarding careers. Our suiting program has grown tremendously while the organization has launched new initiatives to assist our clients in their efforts to grow professionally.
Among her professional activities and relationships, Joi serves on the board of directors of Urban Brands, owner of both the Ashley Stewart and Marianne nameplates, a leading specialty retailer who targets the fashion-savvy urban, multi-cultural woman, and America's Charities. She sits on the women's advisory councils of Office Depot,
American Airlines and VOICE, and imprint of Hyperion Books. Joi also serves on the advisory board of the New-Jersey based non-profit organization My Daughter's Keeper. Over the past several years a number of prominent institutions have recognized Joi for her achievements. In 2007 she was presented with an Ellis Island Medal of Honor and received the 2006 Visionary Award from Office Depot. The Harlem YMCA and Coalition of 100 Black Women in New York City, among many other organizations, have presented Joi with community service awards to acknowledge her contributions. Joi received her B.A. in radio/ television broadcasting from the University of Oklahoma and her juris doctorate from its College of Law. She lives in Queens with her husband Errol, where they own and operate a fleet of luxury limousines. Her greatest joys are her two children, Sydney and Nicholas.
Liz Carey, Executive Vice President of Affiliate Relations & Information
Technology
liz@dressforsuccess.org
 The executive vice president of affiliate
relations & information technology at Dress for Success Worldwide, Liz
Carey oversees the overall health and governance of the organization’s
affiliate network.
Since coming to Dress for Success in 2004, Liz has increased
communications with affiliates and improved the support and materials provided to
them by the Worldwide office. She has implemented systems that allow the
Worldwide office to evaluate the accomplishments of its members and to track
growth in a number of areas on an annual basis. New policies relating to the
accountability and transparency of affiliate operations have helped strengthen
the organization as a whole.
By overhauling the application
process for new affiliates, Liz has ensured that candidates are better informed
about starting and managing an affiliate of Dress for Success and the expectations of
Worldwide. The organization's new programs are stronger and more effective
as a result of the revised procedures. She also
supervised the planning for and opening of an affiliate in
Philadelphia.
Liz has
managed both the re-design of the organizational Web site,
which has enhanced Dress for Success’ presence on the
Internet, and the creation and launch of an Intranet site for
affiliates that offers resources and communications tools.
Under her leadership the annual affiliate conference has
become an increasingly valuable experience for affiliates.
By recruiting well-known and respected expert speakers to
present on a range of topics, Liz has ensured that the
affiliate representatives who attend gain additional skills
and information that will help them sustain and grow their programs
more effectively. For the past five years she has
overseen the planning and management of overwhelmingly
successful conferences.
Liz graduated magna cum laude from Skidmore College
with a B.A. in English literature. She has also studied literature,
Shakespeare, French and gender issues at the graduate level.
Suzanne Elliott, Executive Vice President of Resource Development & Strategic Marketing
suzanne@dressforsuccess.org
 Suzanne Elliott serves as executive vice president of resource development and strategic marketing
at Dress for Success Worldwide. Under Suzanne's leadership,
Dress for Success Worldwide cash revenues increased by more
than 40% from 2006 to 2007 and funding sources were
diversified. In her previous position as director of corporate
and media relations, Suzanne secured 15 new corporate
partnerships, renewed 8 existing partnerships, and initiated a
formal reporting process to demonstrate impact. In the area of
marketing, Suzanne has revamped key materials including our
quarterly newsletter and annual report, and she launched a
proactive media relations strategy that has resulted in
national coverage. Suzanne works tirelessly to ensure
that the faces and voices of the women served by Dress for
Success are prominent in all of the organization's
communications and events.
Prior to joining
Dress for Success, Suzanne served as vice president of
marketing and strategy for a national nonprofit organization.
Suzanne also has experience in corporate strategic
communications and corporate social responsibility.
Suzanne earned a B.A. in public policy
studies summa cum laude from Duke University.
She is currently enrolled in the executive MBA program at New
York University's Stern School of Business.
Denalerie J. Johnson, Executive Vice President of Workforce
Development
denalerie@dressforsuccess.org
 Denalerie
J. Johnson joined Dress for Success Worldwide in July 2008 as
the executive vice president of workforce development.
In this role Denalerie oversees program development and
resource procurement for the Professional Women's Group and
Career Center. She also works with affiliates to grow
and strengthen programs, collect best practices, focus on
global issues affecting the welfare of women, supervise client
service programs in New York City and pilot new initiatives
for international rollout.
Denalerie has a background
with national non-profit groups. Most recently, she
directed human resources employee training and strategic
workforce enhancement in the Organizational Development and
Change Management department for a staff of 3,000 at New
York's largest elder health system. She also has done
strategic planning consulting and career counseling for
technology-based companies and clients of substance abuse
treatment, economic sustainability and education-based
organizations. In addition, Denalerie sits on the
executive committee of the board of directors for JusticeWorks,
Inc.
Denalerie graduated cum laude from Howard
University and is also a graduate of Columbia University.
Currently a Human Services and Non-Profit Management doctoral
candidate, Denalerie is completing her dissertation on
employment discrimination and the career advancement of women
of color.
Other Worldwide staff members
Sarah Carter, Affiliate Operations Coordinator,
sarah@dressforsuccess.org
Carri Farrand, Director of Special Events, carri@dressforsuccess.org
Lindsy
Klar, Corporate Contributions Manager, lindsy@dressforsuccess.org
Erin Moran, Corporate Relations Manager, erin@dressforsuccess.org
Michelle Puchta, Development Manager, michelle@dressforsuccess.org
Jill Simonson, Corporate Relations Director, jill@dressforsuccess.org
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