Rebecca Darr Email and Phone Number

Rebecca Darr joined WINGS Program, Inc as Executive Director in 1999, and was named Chief Executive Officer in 2013. Since joining WINGS, Rebecca has grown the agency in response to the needs of the community. During her tenure, WINGS has become the largest agency of those providing services and housing to victims of domestic violence and their children. Under Darr’s leadership, it realized new funding sources and launched four resale stores, growing its annual budget from $360,000 to $17 million. During her second year at WINGS, United Way of Suburban Chicago named Darr Director of the Year for agencies with budgets over $500,000. Since then, WINGS built and opened the northwest suburbs’ first domestic violence shelter. Coupled with state grants, WINGS numerous events, private contributions, and resale stores generate the necessary operating revenue. Since the shelter opened in 2005, more than 3,000 women, men and children have escaped from abuse to freedom. Darr serves on several other boards and coalitions as part of her effort to advocate for stronger legislation and increased resources to prevent and end domestic violence. In 2013, WINGS was awarded a $1.8 million dollar grant from the city of Chicago to build and open the first new domestic violence shelter in the city in over a decade. With the opening of this innovative, state-of-the-art facility, WINGS increased the shelter bed capacity in the city of Chicago by 36%. This facility opened its doors on Valentine's Day, 2016.In 2020, Darr was named President & CEO. In 2021, WINGS expanded in the city of Chicago with 100 new units of housing for survivors of domestic violence moving from emergency shelters into their own homes. WINGS also launched a mentoring program for survivors moving from shelters called Survivor Lifeline. In 2024, Rebecca is leading the effort to expand WINGS programs and services nationally. Efforts to expand into Florida and Tennessee have begun with future plans to grow into California, New York and Texas. Born and raised in Alton, Illinois, Darr completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois. Prior to joining WINGS, she lived in San Jose, CA, working with homeless families and as the director of a nonprofit alternative school for abused children and adolescents. While in California, she earned her master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. She and her husband, Joe, have three sons who recently graduated from the University of Illinois and a 'bonus' son who graduated from Concordia University Chicago.