Our Team: Carol C. Orr - Partner and Producer

Carol Orr co-founded OAI with Steve Orr in 1991 as Partner and Producer. Bringing more than twenty five years of creative experience in fundraising, special events, design and production, Carol's career in special events began with political campaigns. The 1980 Reagan/Bush campaign team hired her to head all East Coast event fundraisers. Her responsibilities ranged from planning the opening day ceremonies at the Statue of Liberty, to directing a Fifth Avenue parade, to orchestrating fundraising events featuring Frank Sinatra and Wayne Newton.

 

Carol's prior experience as head of her own interior design firm allows her to combine elements of visual impact with creative programs to create truly unique events for OAI's clients. From black tie galas, walks, runs, golf tournaments, basketball tournaments, bike-a-thons, circuses and movie premiers, Carol has had numerous successes. For example, the RFK Memorial's Ripple of Hope Awards events in New York and Washington, DC, the RFK Memorial's event at the Democratic National Convention at the Kennedy Library in Boston, and the fundraiser in Los Angeles at the Esquire House; raised over $5 million for the RFK Memorial.

 

Events directed by Carol have featured elaborate design and video components with performers such as Mark Anthony, James Brown, The Beach Boys, Jim Belushi and The Sacred Hearts Band, The Blues Brothers, Natalie Imbruglia, and Michael Jackson, among others. Performance groups and speakers have included the Blue Man Group, Sinbad, Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, President Clinton, Senator Clinton, Laura Bush, Barbara Bush, Al Gore, Michael Douglas, Larry King, Goldie Hawn, and Queen Latifah, to name a few.

 

Combining flair with practicality, Carol also oversees budgeting and logistics for all events and is known for her keen negotiating skills. Carol has a 100% success rate of staying within --and often under-- budget, creating savings that are passed directly onto the client. OAI is committed to producing events at the lowest possible price.

 

In addition to her senior leadership responsibilities at OAI, Carol volunteers extensively. She has chaired the St. Patrick’s auction, the National Cathedral School’s auction and Bicentennial, Landon School’s annual giving campaign, the Latino Student Fund’s annual gala, as well as served as a committee member on numerous DC galas and fundraisers.

 

Carol received a Bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University, and later received a graduate degree from Thunderbird.  Currently living in the Glover Park neighborhood of Washington, DC, Steve and Carol have three children, all working on Wall Street.