Dr. DuBois-Walton to Lead The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Dr. Karen DuBois-Walton, CLPHA board member and Elm City Communities (ECC) president, has been named the next president and chief executive officer of The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven. Her last day with ECC and on CLPHA’s board will be November 1.
Dr. DuBois-Walton was elected to CLPHA’s board in 2019. She has served for 16 years as president of ECC, which provides housing opportunities for more than 6,000 families and 14,000 individuals and includes the Glendower Group, LLC (the development affiliate of ECC) and 360 Management Group, Inc. (the property management affiliate). At ECC she has spearheaded initiatives to address systemic inequities in housing and community development, education and economic access and opportunity.
Under Dr. DuBois-Walton's leadership ECC has pioneered numerous cross-sector partnerships with education sector organizations that together offer programming that helps ECC residents pursue educational advancement. ECC’s groundbreaking work that helps improve education outcomes for low-income New Haven residents has long supported and informed CLPHA’s Housing Is Initiative, and her move to The Community Foundation underscores the importance of philanthropic organizations to cross-sector efforts to address the needs of low-income families.
“CLPHA and our board have greatly benefitted not only from Karen’s intelligence and expertise, but also her warmth and compassion,” said Jeffery K. Patterson, CLPHA board president and CEO of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority. “We are heartened to know that she will take her passion for helping low-income families find housing stability, economic opportunity, and improved health and education outcomes into her new role. We wish Karen the best of luck as she embarks on this new opportunity.”
“Karen’s leadership at ECC and on the CLPHA board has always been centered on the needs of low-income families, and particularly families of color.,” said CLPHA Executive Director Sunia Zaterman. “She has shaped our thinking and practices on how to develop and sustain effective cross-sector partnerships to improve life outcomes for those we serve. She will no doubt continue to champion safe, stable, and affordable housing as foundational to improved life outcomes in her new role at The Community Foundation. While we will miss Karen in our industry, we wholeheartedly congratulate her on this new opportunity to continue her work serving the people of New Haven.”