Cecilia Marshall is the Executive Director of the Thurgood Marshall Foundation, where she leads the family’s efforts to preserve, protect, and promote the legacy of her grandfather, Justice Thurgood Marshall. She stepped into this role after years of leadership in national nonprofits and philanthropy, bringing deep experience in fundraising, strategic partnerships, college access and success, and program innovation to steward the Foundation’s mission at a pivotal moment.
Her career has centered on expanding opportunity and increasing social mobility. She has held senior leadership roles at Ed Advancement, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and APIA Scholars, where she launched initiatives to strengthen college access, student success, and long-term impact for underrepresented communities. She holds a fine arts degree from the Savannah College of Art and Design and earlier in her career led global recruitment efforts at SCAD after beginning her professional path in corporate advertising in New York City.
Cecilia previously served on the Board of Directors of the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF), the nation’s premier legal organization fighting for racial justice, founded by her grandfather.