The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) Board of Directors announced today that Mary Kay Leonard, innovative business executive, philanthropic leader, and government official, has been named the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City. Leonard will assume her new role with ICIC on January 4, 2010.
"Mary Kay Leonard is a proven leader with a remarkable background spanning the range of issues and constituencies that ICIC works with each day. ICIC is poised to play an even greater role in the nation's urban communities, with expanding programs and partnerships with Bank of America, Chevron Corporation, Staples Foundation for Learning, the Brookings Institution, the Small Business Administration, and recently Goldman Sachs. Mary Kay is the ideal person to lead ICIC in addressing the challenges of urban neighborhoods and shaping the nation's policy agenda for building businesses in disadvantaged areas," said Harvard Business School Professor Michael E. Porter, Chairman and Founder of ICIC. "I am confident that Mary Kay will help to increase ICIC's reach and impact on inner city economic development across the U.S."
Leonard's background is well-suited to advance ICIC's mission with businesses, city, state, and national governments, and the foundation community. In her most recent position as Senior Vice President for The Community Builders (TCB), one of the nation's leading developers of low-income housing in urban areas, she headed the organization's community initiatives and property management functions. Under her leadership, TCB successfully launched a program to double the earned income level of residents living in affordable and mixed income housing. Previously, Leonard was Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of United Way of Massachusetts Bay, and later head of Investor Relations for the United Way system responsible for raising more than $1 billion in annual revenue.
As Senior Vice President for Work/Family Directions (WFD), Inc., a privately held company that delivered work/life and employee assistance programs for Fortune 500 companies, Leonard was instrumental in growing the business from $20 million in annual revenue to $70 million, before its sale to Ceridan. Beginning her career as a practicing attorney, Leonard entered into government service. From 1985 to 1990, Leonard served as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Office for Children, an agency responsible for regulating 12,000 programs ranging from child care to residential treatment. Leonard is credited with doubling the agency's budget during her tenure.
"The economic crisis has created even more stress in our inner cities, and ICIC's vision of business-led urban revitalization is more important than ever," stated John Fish, Chief Executive Officer of Suffolk construction, ICIC board member, and Chairman of the search committee. "We are confident that Mary Kay's experience and background make her the ideal choice to lead ICIC now and in the future."
"For fifteen years, ICIC has pioneered the movement to create sustainable economic prosperity for America's distressed urban centers. I am honored to be leading ICIC as it makes such a significant difference in the lives of the citizens of inner cities, and as its agenda is gaining widening support from major corporations, foundations, and the Obama administration," stated Leonard. "I look forward to working with ICIC and its partners to expand its reach and impact on inner city business development."
A longtime resident of Boston, Leonard is a graduate of Colgate University with a degree in Urban Studies and holds a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. She has completed senior executive programs at Yale School of Management, Harvard Kennedy School, and Harvard Business School.
The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) is a national, not-for-profit organization founded in 1994 by Harvard Business School professor Michael E. Porter. ICIC's mission is to promote economic prosperity in America's inner cities through private sector engagement that leads to jobs, income and wealth creation for local residents.
Contacts:
The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City
Steven Pedigo,
617-297-2127
spedigo@icic.org
