Kathleen Jeanette Guillaume-Delemar Named New President & CEO of the Center for Community Progress

WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 18, 2023 – The Center for Community Progress (Community Progress), the only national nonprofit dedicated to tackling vacant properties, is honored to announce the selection of Kathleen Jeanette Guillaume-Delemar as its new President and Chief Operating Officer. Guillaume-Delemar brings more than 25 years of experience in community development, philanthropy, local government, social justice activism, and nonprofit leadership to her new role. She previously served as the organization’s Vice President and Director of National Partnerships.

With a commitment to racial justice and fostering people-centered community revitalization, Guillaume-Delemar is poised to lead Community Progress into a new era of innovation and impact. Her deep understanding of community challenges, combined with a passion for vibrant, resilient, and inclusive neighborhoods, positions her as an ideal fit to lead the organization.

“I am deeply honored to take on the role of President and CEO of the Center for Community Progress, an organization that has been instrumental in driving positive change in the lives of people and communities across the nation,” said Guillaume-Delemar. “I am excited to build upon our successes and continue to work in partnership with our incredible staff, policymakers, philanthropy, and local leaders to make their communities places of opportunity and growth.”

During her tenure as Vice President and Director of National Partnerships, Guillaume-Delemar played a pivotal role in forging strategic, multi-year funding partnerships and advancing the organization’s mission to foster strong, equitable communities where vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties are transformed into assets for neighbors and neighborhoods. She also currently serves as Councilmember-at-Large for the City of Glenarden, Maryland; located in Prince George’s County. Guillaume-Delemar made history when she became the first and only Afro-Caribbean, Afro-Latina, Haitian American to be elected in the City of Glenarden’s history and has contributed to the equitable legislative measures aimed at serving her community.

“After an extensive nationwide search and rigorous selection process, we are confident that we have found the best person to lead this organization,” said Community Progress Board Chair Don Phoenix. “We extend a warm congratulations to Kat as she steps into her new leadership role. Her unique perspective, deep commitment to the mission, and extensive experience within community development makes her the perfect leader to guide us into the future.”

Guillaume-Delemar will assume her role as President and CEO on September 1, 2023, succeeding Interim President and CEO Courtney Knox, who led the organization with distinction through this transition period. Knox will resume her role as Vice President of National Leadership and Education within the organization.

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About Community Progress: The Center for Community Progress helps people to transform vacant spaces into vibrant places. Since 2010, their team of experts has provided urban, suburban, and rural communities battling systemic vacancy with the policies, tools, and resources needed to address the full cycle of property revitalization. As the only national nonprofit dedicated to tackling vacant properties, Community Progress drives change by uncovering and disrupting the unjust, racist systems that perpetuate entrenched vacancy and property deterioration. Community Progress has delivered customized, expert guidance to leaders in over 300 communities and provided hundreds of hours of free educational resources as well as leadership programming to help policymakers, practitioners, and community members across the country return properties to productive use. To learn more and get help for your community, visit communityprogress.org.

Contact: Maria Elkin, Director, Communications ([email protected])