Olga Vives is an author, activist, teacher and former sales and marketing professional. Originally from Cuba, Vives has been a strong women's rights advocate in Illinois for decades. She was elected Action Vice-President of NOW in June 2001 and Executive Vice-President in July 2005.
As Action Vice-President, Vives oversaw the grassroots organizing efforts that are the backbone of the organization, taking the lead on major campaigns such as The March for Women's Lives held in April 2004, "Save our Courts," Equal Marriage and naming Wal-Mart a Merchant of Shame. As Executive Vice-President, Vives will continue to build NOW's Foundation programs, including the Women's Health Project, and Global and Racial Diversity outreach programs.
Vives has been an outspoken leader in the feminist movement and has served at various levels of NOW, including chapter president, Illinois NOW Action Vice-President, National Board member, Regional Director and former Chair of NOW's Lesbian Rights Committee. She also served on the NOW Political Action Committee. Vives has worked on campaigns to elect women's rights supporters to all levels of government, including the campaign that elected Carol Moseley-Braun as the first African American woman in the Senate. She also participated in efforts to block the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, based on Anita Hill's testimony.
Vives is a coalition builder, who works to expand NOW's reach to more women of color, lesbians and young feminists. Vives has 30 years in training, management and marketing, successfully managing 200-plus employees as the leader of a large sales organization. Before her election as a national NOW officer, Vives served as the Vice President of an Internet company that connects large corporations with smaller minority-owned and women-owned businesses. Vives joined NOW in the early 1980s to participate in the campaign to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment. She is based in Arizona.
