Monique Rizer

Monique Rizer was appointed Opportunity Nation’s Executive Director in September 2015. Prior to this role, Monique served as Be The Change, Inc.’s Chief of Staff, and brings an organization-wide understanding of BTC’s three bipartisan, issue-based campaigns: ServiceNation, Opportunity Nation and Got Your 6, which are focused on national service, economic mobility and veteran empowerment, respectively. Monique is a first-generation college graduate and lives with her two sons, Gabriel and Asher, in the Washington, D.C. area. She frequently speaks about the obstacles she faced growing up and as a young adult through her role as an ambassador to The Aspen Institute’s Ascend Program, which aims to help children and families achieve educational success and economic security. Previously, Monique served as deputy director of military spouse programs for the Military Officers Association of America, where she conceived and built Keeping a Career on the Move®. That program earned the American Society for Association Executives (ASAE) ‘Power of A’ Silver Award, was featured multiple times by the White House and continues today, having tripled in growth since its launch. Monique was recruited to direct communications for Child Care Aware of America, elevating the role that quality, affordable child care plays in early education and the workforce. She began her career as a marketer for a Top 100 accounting and consulting firm and served as a contributing editor to multiple publications focused on careers. Monique attended community college in her home state of Washington and was part of the first class of Gates Millennium Scholars, a full scholarship that enabled her to attain her bachelor’s degree with distinction in journalism from Gonzaga University and a master’s in information management from Syracuse University. In her free time, Monique enjoys running, reading and cheering on Asher at Little League.