April McWilliams is the Managing Director of People & Culture at Democracy Fund, where she oversees the People Team strategy and organizational development. As a member of Democracy Fund’s Executive Team, she ensures HR strategies and practices align with the evolving needs of the organization. She champions programs and initiatives that enhance employee engagement, satisfaction, and well-being, and leads efforts to foster an inclusive and engaged workplace.
April brings over 20 years of human resources and organizational development experience, focused on supporting mission-driven research and public policy focused organizations. She most recently served as the Vice President and Chief HR Officer at the Brookings Institution, where she provided senior-level HR guidance and was responsible for developing and regularly executing HR strategy to align with the priorities and strategic direction of the Institution.
Prior to joining Brookings, she served as the HR director at the Pew Research Center and the HR manager at the National Committee for Quality Assurance. She received her Master’s degree in Human Resources from Marymount University and her Bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Hampton University. She also holds the designation of a certified Senior HR professional from the Society of Human Resources Management.