After an extensive national search, the Lilith Fund Board of Directors is thrilled to announce we have selected Neesha Davé as our new Executive Director.
Neesha’s journey with Lilith Fund began almost twenty years ago when she first volunteered for our hotline. She served on the Lilith Fund Board of Directors for five years and as board president for the final two years. Before joining Lilith Fund’s staff as Deputy Director in 2020, Neesha built a career in progressive state and local policymaking, politics, advocacy, and organizing.
For the past three years, Neesha worked alongside our former Executive Director, Amanda Beatriz Williams, to lead the organization. As Deputy Director, Neesha focused on managing staff and overseeing programmatic work, including our direct assistance hotline, client engagement program, and organizing and advocacy campaigns. As Lilith Fund’s programs grew in complexity, scale, and reach, Neesha guided our organization and staff in developing leadership to strengthen and ground our programmatic work.
In 2021, Neesha rose to the challenge of leading Lilith Fund as Acting Executive Director during the implementation of Senate Bill 8, the nation’s most extreme abortion ban at the time. During a chaotic time for our community, Neesha worked with staff and board to mitigate harm and ensure our organization could continue to function and support our clients. During that period, Lilith Fund provided more financial assistance to each client than ever before.
After the implementation of SB8 and later the fall of Roe, with Lilith Fund vulnerable to harassing lawsuits and further attacks by extremists, Neesha showed a fearless and undeterred dedication to the organization, our staff, and clients. Legally and otherwise, she put herself on the line for Lilith Fund’s mission. We saw this further culminate when she was called to testify in federal court on behalf of Lilith Fund, where she literally came head-to-head on public record with some of the harshest anti-abortion extremists in the state. She provided key testimony that was later cited in the federal court ruling that allowed Lilith Fund to resume direct funding of abortion care for Texans.
“In my several years of working alongside Neesha—dating back to when Neesha was first on the board in 2014—I have witnessed her growth as a strong and compassionate leader, one who leads with integrity, intention, and a fierce commitment to the reproductive justice values we all hold dear. In one capacity or another, I have witnessed Neesha make tough decisions, navigate tumultuous conflicts, and tackle one challenge after another. Her leadership on Lilith Fund’s team has been transformational, and I believe holistically we could not have gotten through these last few difficult years without her.”
– Amanda Beatriz Williams
Continuing her leadership in recent months as Lilith Fund’s Interim Executive Director, Neesha offered stability, sustained positive staff morale, and fostered deep and effective collaboration across our team. Under her leadership, Lilith Fund staff navigated ongoing shifts in the legal landscape and re-launched direct funding of abortion care for Texans traveling to states where abortion is legal.
We are so thrilled to welcome Neesha into her new role, knowing that the Lilith Fund team is ready for whatever comes next.
