Dro Abrahamian

Dro Abrahamian is a Non-Profit professional with over 35 years of experience. Dro is passionate about mentoring staff, leading teams/boards in strategic planning/achieving goals, and is committed to improving customer service processes. As a management executive, fundraiser or business owner/entrepreneur, he is known to have created a greater impact and sustainability for organizations served.

In his current role as Executive Director of Village Community Resource Center, Dro ensures the mission and vision of the organization continues to grow its reputation, reach and impact throughout East Contra Costa County. With twelve dedicated staff and over 70 volunteers, VCRC serves communities with After School Education: Health & Wellness and Parent/Leader Community Building programs in Brentwood, Byron/Discovery Bay, Oakley, Antioch and Pittsburg.

Prior to VCRC, Dro served as COO of ASIAN, Inc., where he oversaw Asset Management of low-moderate income housing in San Francisco as well as the organization’s Accounting; HR; IT, Communications and Operations. His focus was on risk management, compliance and building good relations with City, County and Federal officials and agencies. Prior executive management positions included Director of Development for RAND – San Francisco Bay Area; Executive Counsel for Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon; Chief Development Officer for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County; Director of Development for Interface Children & Family Services, Camarillo, CA and Healthcare Foundation President for Adventist Health, a 500+ bed hospital in Glendale, CA.

 In each of his fundraising roles, Dro successfully solicited five, six and seven-figure gifts, increased production and diversified funding. Earlier in his career, Dro built up his own consultancy firm where he served large and small institutions in the areas of Higher Education, Health Care, Social Services, Faith-based and Arts/Culture. With his final client, he helped establish the 501(c)(3) D-MAN Foundation, a nonprofit spun off from Guardian Angel Home Health, which provides Music Therapy and Travel Assistance for individuals with disabilities.

Dro earned his B.A, in Organizational Psychology from University of Michigan and his Master’s in Library/Information Sciences from Wayne State University. Both degrees have helped Dro understand knowledge management/data and how important the human factor is for making key decisions. As a consummate learner and one who thinks outside the box, Dro’s five strengths identified by Strength Finders™ are 1) Connector – joins disparate areas/breaks down silos; 2) Maximizer – creates opportunities for improvement; 3) Responsible – accountable to stated/measured goals; 4) Ideaist – thinks in positive terms, pictures and stories; and 5) Futurist – develops long range plans and vision.

Dro lives at the intersection of Antioch, Oakley and Brentwood with his wife and they have three grown children. In his off-work hours, Dro cares for his wife who was diagnosed with brain cancer in March of 2021. A former speech therapist for children, his wife is on disability and confined to a wheelchair. Though presently cancer-free, the buildup of scar tissue from the radiation treatment damaged brain tissue and has left her needing daily care, provided also by her stay-home son. Dro enjoys cooking and the occasional outing with his family. As someone who loves the art of story-telling and can’t resist an allegory to drive home a point, Dro is currently writing a book on his adventures (and mis-adventures) as a fundraiser with humorous anecdotes and lessons to be learned.

Dro - Visionary, Connector, Compassionate