Deborah Marcus is an executive in the CAA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), which represents many of the most successful and innovative professionals working in media and sports. Marcus joined the agency in 2019 to lead its education and youth development efforts.
Prior to joining CAA, Marcus served as the Executive Director of Communities in Schools of Los Angeles (CISLA), the nationally recognized nonprofit leader in high school drop-out prevention, whose mission is to surround undeserved students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. Under her leadership, the organization grew to serve more than 10,000 students and their families annually in the communities of Watts, South LA, Boyle Heights, Pico Union, and West LA. She remains proud of the 96% graduation rate that CISLA students continue to achieve.
Previously, Marcus worked as the National Development Director for The Art of Elysium, a nonprofit organization that encourages artists across all disciplines to voluntarily dedicate their time and talent to children battling serious illness and hospitalization. She joined the nonprofit sector following two years with the London and Singapore-based licensing and brand management company Global Brands.
Upon graduating from Northwestern University, Marcus lived in New York City, where she worked as a development executive and producer for New York-based film company Abandon Pictures.
In 2014, Marcus was appointed by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to the Commission of Community and Family Services on which she currently serves as Vice Chairperson.
Marcus resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two young boys, and two dogs.
