For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kate Uesugi, kuesugi@americanhumanist.org, 202-238-9088 (ext. 105)
(Washington, DC, December 1, 2021) – Today, the American Humanist Association (AHA) is announcing the appointment of Nadya Dutchin as the organization’s new Executive Director. After evaluating many outstanding candidates for the role, the Executive Director Search Committee and the AHA Board of Directors chose Dutchin, an experienced nonprofit leader and humanist, based in the DC/Baltimore area.
“We are proud that a leader of Nadya’s caliber has chosen to come to the AHA and we are delighted to welcome her to the AHA family,” said Sunil Panikkath, AHA President. “Nadya’s impressive experience with the management and leadership of nonprofits, and her dedication to creating a more just and equitable world, will be assets to the AHA and the humanist community. We are excited about her ability to lead the organization to a bright and vibrant future by building on our achievements.”
Prior to joining the AHA, Dutchin was the Co-Executive Director of Power Shift Network, a Washington, DC-based climate justice organization where she led the communications and fundraising programs. At Power Shift, her work emphasized the idea that the climate crisis cannot be addressed without directly linking the impact of environmental racism on people and she worked to center Black, Indigenous, and POC youth within the climate justice movement. She currently serves as Board President of The Common Good Generation and as Interim President of Our Climate.
Dutchin is of Afro-Indo-Guyanese heritage and a proud alumna of Florida A&M University where she studied Molecular and Cellular Biology. She loves reading fiction, supporting local restaurants, visiting museums, the thrill of live music, the Muppets, and, most of all, watching movies and cuddling with her daughter. She identifies as a humanist and looks forward to promoting humanist values.
“I am beyond excited to join the American Humanist Association team so that we can work together to deeply diversify our membership and continue the humanist pursuit of building a society committed to finding solutions to today’s problems that are rooted in sound science, common sense, and above all else, compassion and kindness for people and the Earth,” comments Dutchin. “By standing on the rich legacy of the humanist movement, I hope to build a truly welcoming community for the large number of young, Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ people who are atheist, agnostic, or otherwise nontheistic, and want to work and sit in community with other like-minded freethinkers. Together, we can ensure that the next generation of humanists have a strong, unified voice, and a powerful, active network that demands progressive policies to ensure that safety, dignity, justice, equality, and agency are equally accessible to all people.”
As Executive Director, Dutchin will lead the staff of the AHA from its headquarters in Washington, DC and work closely with the AHA Board, as the organization continues to effectively advocate for humanist values and serve the humanist community.
###
The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.