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data.org Taps Cormekki Whitley as Chief Finance and Administration Officer

Experienced finance and operations leader brings deep roots in financial inclusion and equity

Press Release
Cormekki Whitley
Cormekki Whitley

Today data.org announced that Cormekki Whitley will join on July 5, 2022, as Chief Finance and Administration Officer. This newly-created role will provide leadership and guidance for the organization as it expands its remit as a platform for partnerships building the field of data science for social impact, with more engaged initiatives and a growing, global team.

Cormekki is an experienced CFO/COO with more than two decades of financial planning, analysis, forecasting, budgeting, and operations management in non-profit organizations. She most recently served as Interim Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), where for over a decade she led all aspects of internal management and operations. Prior to joining CLASP, Cormekki served as the Chief Operating Officer for a labor federation where she developed, executed and provided leadership for all of the organization’s financial, operational and human systems. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from North Carolina State University and advanced degrees from Meredith College and Northcentral University.

Cormekki brings a deep commitment to racial equity and financial inclusion to her work, including extensive knowledge of mortgage markets and fair lending. Her dissertation addressed the impact of the North Carolina predatory lending law and the availability of credit.

“We at data.org believe that how we work internally must be informed by the very issues of fairness and equity that our platform and initiatives address externally,” said Danil Mikhailov, executive director at data.org. “We are fortunate to attract a leader like Cormekki, whose proven track record in finance and operations is accompanied by a focus on tackling systemic inequities.”

“I am delighted to be joining data.org and combining my passion for leadership in high-performing nonprofits with creating a more equitable world,” added Cormekki Whitley. “I look forward to building on my experience to engage in this important work at a global scale.”