NOW Officers

Melody Drnach, Vice President - Action

A longtime NOW member, Melody Drnach was elected Action Vice President in July 2005. She oversees the grassroots organizing efforts that are the backbone of the organization and serves as a national spokesperson for NOW on issues ranging from women's health to peace as a feminist issue.

In 1996 Drnach relocated to Rhode Island and discovered that the state NOW organization had not been active for nearly a decade. She immediately swung into action and, with the help of national's chapter development staff, brought RI NOW back to life. Drnach served as the interim president while reinvigorating the organization and was ultimately elected as state president. Since then, she and a powerful team of feminists have successfully established RI NOW as a political force in the state. Making connections within the community has been the key to Drnach's organizing success.

Through Drnach's leadership, RI NOW membership steadily grew and the number of active members increased with each new event. She helped increase NOW's profile on campus, building interest at the college and high school level. Drnach was elected as the Northeast Regional Director in 2005 and was serving on the NOW's board when she took national office.

Previously she served as president of the board of directors for the Women's Resource Center, a domestic violence agency, and continues to serve on a committee to raise awareness of same-sex partner violence and to identify gaps in service for survivors. Drnach also served on the board of directors of a number of progressive groups, including: Ocean State Action, Rhode Island Stonewall Democrats and the R.I. Choice Coalition.

Professionally, Drnach worked for Brown University conducting research on women's health issues. Prior to joining Brown, she worked on environmental protection programs for 14 years in Washington, D.C., and Rhode Island. During the 2002 Rhode Island gubernatorial election, Drnach took a leave of absence from environmental work to join the Myrth for Governor campaign as full-time staff.

Drnach enjoys spending time with family and friends and when possible, with her two nephews in California. Drnach also enjoys long romps with her two-year old Springer Spaniel "Carson," named after Rachel Carson. While free time is a rare occurrence, Drnach does try to return to Rhode Island to sail her Ensign named "Segue" on the beautiful Narragansett Bay.

Drnach currently resides in Washington, D.C.