Mary Elizabeth House Board of Directors Appoints Kelvin J. Robinson as Chief Executive Officer
PRESS RELEASE
For Release: Tuesday, December 20, 2022
Contact: Lydia Sermons, 301-526-0374; LSermons212@gmail.com
Washington, DC – The Board of Directors of The Mary Elizabeth House (TMEH) announced today the appointment of Kelvin J. Robinson as the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective December 14, 2022.
Over the past year, Robinson has served as the interim CEO, following the death of TMEH founder, Reverend Carolyn Graham, Ph.D., December 2021. Dr. Graham served as Deputy Mayor for Children, Youth Families and Elders for former DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams.
For more than a decade, The Mary Elizabeth House has been transforming the lives of young, single women and their families through positive support from life skills training, education and workforce guidance to counseling and housing. TMEH serves young women who are either single mothers or pregnant and are currently in or have aged-out of the child welfare system in the District of Columbia.
“During the past year, Kelvin has guided The Mary Elizabeth House through a difficult transition, navigating the loss of our founder, Rev. Dr. Carolyn N. Graham, and returning the program to full operation following the Covid 19 pandemic. Kelvin ’s professionalism and unwavering commitment to the mission of TMEH gives us complete confidence that he is the right person to lead the organization to the next level,” said Board Chair Carolyn Farrow-Garland.
Robinson is a visionary leader with a reputation as a skilled strategist. With more than 30 years of change management, strategic planning, operational improvement, business development and regulatory expertise, Mr. Robinson is well rounded in his understanding and knowledge of both public and private sectors. He joined TMEH in May 2016, as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer. Prior to returning to the private sector, Mr. Robinson served as an executive in the District of Columbia’s Health Benefit Exchange Authority, implementing the landmark Affordable Care Act. There, he served as Director for Business Policy and Marketplace Operations. Prior to that, Mr. Robinson served as President and Founder of two consulting firms that concentrated on business growth strategies, start-up, project management and organizational support for small and mid-sized companies.
While holding several senior-level positions within state and local governments in Washington, D.C. and Florida, Mr. Robinson earned a reputation as an innovator and change agent, with a business-minded approach to government. He served as Chief of Staff to DC Mayor Anthony A. Williams, Director of Legislative and Public Affairs with a state-wide municipal organization and in several leadership positions in the State of Florida government. During his public service, Mr. Robinson facilitated large scale community engagements, strategic planning sessions, led the start-up of a privatized auto emissions inspection program, which was cited as the most technologically advanced system of its kind and generated revenues exceeding $50 million per year. Mr. Robinson also consolidated government agencies and reengineered regulatory processes that earned him the prestigious Davis Productivity Award for cost savings and innovation in government. As chief legislative strategist for municipal governments, Mr. Robinson secured record level funding for government operations and critical human service projects.
In his civic capacity, Mr. Robinson serves as a board member and President of the London Woods Community Association in Capitol Heights, Maryland and has served as Chair of an elected Advisory Neighborhood Commission in the District of Columbia. He has served in leadership roles on the Board of Directors for the District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce and Catholic Charities, as well as a Board Member for the Leadership Florida Community Foundation and is a Lifetime Member.
Mr. Robinson is a graduate of Florida State University, where he earned both a Bachelor's and Master's degree.
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