RACHEL USDAN
Chief Operating Officer | Co-Founder
Rachel Usdan is a seasoned nonprofit executive and former structural engineer whose career bridges technical precision with community-rooted leadership. As Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Peace For DC, she brings over two decades of experience in project management, program design, and advocacy to her role stewarding healing-centered, equity-driven initiatives across the District.
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Rachel’s professional journey began in civil and structural engineering, where she led complex design and construction projects for commercial and residential developments. Her analytical rigor and organizational acumen laid the foundation for her transition into nonprofit leadership, where she now applies those same skills to build sustainable systems of care and collaboration.
Prior to Peace For DC, and in addition to a 15-year career in Structural Engineering, Rachel served in volunteer leadership roles for Serve Your City and Moms Demand Action, where she mobilized hundreds of volunteers, led successful legislative advocacy campaigns, and cultivated partnerships with dozens of local organizations to advance gun violence prevention efforts. She has also supported mutual aid networks, refugee resettlement efforts, and cross-cultural dialogue groups, always centering equity and collective care. Rachel holds a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from George Washington University.