Angela Ferrell-Zabala has served as Moms Demand Action’s first-ever Executive Director since 2023. She’s a lifelong community organizer passionate about bringing people together and is a Washington, DC-based mom of four. In her role, Angela leads Everytown’s grassroots advocacy efforts of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action and oversees our vision for the next decade of our life-saving advocacy.
Get to know Angela:
What brought you to the gun violence prevention movement?
I’m a longtime grassroots organizer, and I’ve had the chance to work on a number of causes that are important to me over the past two decades: women’s rights, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, immigration, reproductive rights, racial justice, and education. Having my children made me want to do everything in my power to keep them—and all children in this country—safe.
Before I became the first-ever executive director of Moms Demand Action, I supported Everytown for Gun Safety’s work as the Senior Vice President of Movement Building, where I had the opportunity to see the power of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action volunteers firsthand and work on a number of important cultural, corporate and national programs and partnerships.
Throughout my time in this movement, I’ve been continually honored to work alongside gun violence survivors, who inspire me to keep going with their grace, courage, and resilience.
Why did you want to work with Moms Demand Action in particular?
When my twins were small, I told them, “If you ever get lost, find a mom. She’ll help you.” When I first met Shannon Watts, we immediately clicked—and I realized that she had taken that same advice and used it to change the world. I couldn’t wait to roll up my sleeves and join the other moms in this movement.
Throughout my life, I’ve seen the power women have to change the world. We’re the glue in our communities, and we care for people—we’re amazing advocates. But I’ve also seen how women aren’t always given a seat at the table, even when they have a lot of the solutions. I wanted to be part of a movement that gave women the tools they needed to make the changes they wanted, and that is Moms Demand Action through and through.
Tell us a little bit about your family.
I’m the mother to four kids: two adult twins—a son and a daughter—and two younger daughters. They are my inspiration to always meet the world with kindness, and they encourage me to slow down and find the moments of laughter and beauty in everyday life. We’re lucky to have my mom living close by, and, in addition to being my shero, she helps me balance the demands of parenting and work.
Why is your mother your shero?
My mom taught me about social justice and instilled in me from a young age the importance of helping others. We worked hard for everything we had, and she always made a way for us—I never felt without. She showed me we have a voice and a place even in the hardest circumstances. She is still the one I turn to for advice and encouragement.
How do you take care of yourself while doing this work?
My faith plays a big role in my life, and I pray, meditate, and take walks when I need to reflect and reconnect with my purpose. I grew up in a very multi-faith tradition, and I lean on that when this work is hard. I also absolutely love to dance—be it in the office, my living room on a Sunday afternoon, and even in the grocery store. My younger daughters love it, my older kids put up with it!
What are you most excited about as we continue to build our movement?
I love bringing together people from all different backgrounds to work on a common goal, and I’ve always believed that our diversity is our strength at Moms Demand Action. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to continue welcoming more parents, students, educators, faith leaders, mayors, community leaders, law enforcement leaders, artists, and more into our movement, because I know that what unites on this issue is so much greater than what divides us. In my previous role, I had the opportunity to build some great relationships with community partners and organizations across the country, and I’m excited to continue that work as well.
What’s one takeaway you have for people to learn about this work?
No action is too small. My background as an organizer has taught me that what matters most is showing up for your community. When we do that, every small effort builds toward meaningful change.
