Gail Oliver

2019 Curtis L. Etherly Jr. Ally Award

Gail Oliver is epitomized by creative thinking, brilliant intuition, and insight. She is equipped with sound academic and work-place principles and well-validated techniques which produce amazing results.

Ms. Oliver is the current Executive Director at Damien Ministries in Washington, DC. She has over 40 years of extensive experience in the non-profit and human services sector. In her long career, Ms. Oliver has served as Co-Teacher, Program Specialist, Design Team Leader, Visionary Leader, Executive Director, Community Liaison, and more. She also owns and operates two successful businesses. Her enthusiasm for servant leadership and service and support for marginalized communities has been a lifelong commitment.

She is a visionary leader who is adept with the knowledge of organizational development, through visioning, strategic planning, evaluation, monitoring, and trusted advisory support. People who make out time with Ms. Oliver would describe her as a systems thinker, capable of raising expectations, while interfacing effectively with personnel and community stakeholders at all levels.

Ms. Oliver has an earned Bachelor’s degree in Education, Public Policy from Ashford University, San Diego, California. Professionally, her area of expertise lies in leadership, restructuring, and innovation.

Ms. Oliver believes in projecting the best in everything she does. That includes being the best Mother of two, and the Greatest Grandma on the Eastern Seaboard. She has six beautiful grandchildren and lives with her husband, John in Washington, DC. She enjoys traveling, surfing Instagram and playing words with friends. Her dedication is and will always be with serving those who are less fortunate, to provide options and opportunities for all.

May 2019

About Award:

The Curtis L. Etherly, Jr. Ally Award, first awarded in 2018 is presented to a person who has proven themselves to be worthy of being called an “ally” to the Black LGBT community. Curtis Etherly was the embodiment of what it means to be an ally in thought, word and deed.