René Gornall currently serves as a program and fundraising consultant for Opportunity Nation as it transitions to its new home. René is Opportunity Nation’s former Director of Development where she was responsible for cultivating strategic relationships and partnerships that advance the goals and mission of the coalition.
Prior to joining Opportunity Nation, René served as Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations at American Humane Association, a national nonprofit based in Washington, DC, that promotes animal and child welfare.
Trained as a lawyer, René previously worked with the Youth Court in Washington DC, a diversion program for youth charged with misdemeanor and school offenses. As development coordinator, she identified funding partners to increase programming for the court’s caseload of over 800 youth per year, including new after-school programs, job training opportunities and a substance abuse treatment partnership.
René graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and she received her JD from The Dickinson School of Law, where she worked in the Family Law Clinic and helped to launch the school’s Children’s Advocacy Clinic.
Originally from northwest Pennsylvania, René has lived in the Metro DC area for eight years. She serves on the board of directors of the Arlington County Fair, and in her free time, she enjoys biking, knitting, hiking and baking.
