Karen Freeman Wilson
President & CEO, Chicago Urban League
Karen Freeman-Wilson began serving as President and CEO of the Chicago Urban League in January 2020. She brings a passion for equity and social justice to the organization, which works to advance economic, educational, and social progress for African Americans through direct service and advocacy. Having served in the public arena most of her professional life, FreemanWilson has deep experience in addressing issues that impact urban communities. She was mayor of her hometown of Gary, Indiana, from 2012 through 2019. She was the first female to lead the city of Gary and the first Black female mayor in Indiana.
Freeman-Wilson previously served as Indiana Attorney General, Director of the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, and presiding judge of the Gary City Court. She also served as Executive Director of the National Drug Court Institute and CEO of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals.
Freeman-Wilson is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School. She chairs the Cities for Financial Empowerment and sits on the boards of the National Policing Institute; Center for Community Progress; Sandy Hook Promise; and the Lyric Opera of Chicago. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc and the Links, Inc.