Baltimore Corps, a social justice and innovation hub co-founded in 2013 by now-Gov. Wes Moore and his now-chief of staff Fagan Harris, announced that Caryn York will be the organization’s next president and chief executive officer.
York is a Baltimore native living in New York City, where she serves as the first Black woman president and CEO of the Women’s Prison Association (WPA). That organization advances housing, education, employment, and family unification solutions for women and mothers impacted by the criminal justice system.
Before her work with the WPA, York was the CEO of Baltimore’s Job Opportunities Task Force (JOTF), driving the organization’s efforts to pass more than 15 pieces of statewide legislation eliminating barriers to employment and higher education for low-income workers and job seekers.
“Bringing skilled leaders like Caryn back home to Baltimore is a testament to the organization’s success in growing and attracting talent where the city needs it most,” said Matthew D. Gallagher, Baltimore Corps’ Board Chair and president and CEO of the Goldseker Foundation, in a statement. “We’re all very excited to double down with Caryn on the model we’ve grown at Baltimore Corps and to share it with communities across the country.”
York has devoted her career to advancing equity for working-class communities of color. The press announcement describes her as a dynamic force working at the intersection of workforce, justice reform, and policy.
“Caryn is a warrior for justice who wakes up every day with purpose,” Moore said in a statement. “She is ideally positioned to provide the next generation of social entrepreneurs with the tools to improve our communities.”
“I am proud of our track record at Baltimore Corps and the accomplishments we have achieved since our earliest days,” Harris said in a statement. “I have no doubt that Caryn is the right person to continue this critical work and ensure the sustainability of what is becoming a national success story.”
York’s appointment comes as Baltimore Corps prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary. According to the press release, since its founding, “[t]he organization has placed more than 1,000 adults and youth in full-time service, social entrepreneurship, and other positions. It also distributes more than $600,000 annually in grants and loans to organizations with predominately Black and brown leaders.”
The press announcement touted the Corps’ planned expansion, as it’s considered an example to follow in cities across the country.
“Birmingham, Alabama became the first ‘expansion city’ in what is now known as City Corps. This new national platform is tapping Baltimore-forged experiences to build new talent hubs in social impact sectors and high-mobility career pathways for underestimated talent in targeted areas of urgent need. Partner cities will draw on technical assistance, resources and support provided by City Corps to build and champion this work,” read the announcement.
York is enthusiastic about returning to her hometown to join the organization that is a national role model for service.
“Baltimore is primed to be a national case study for attracting talent and big ideas,” York said. “I couldn’t resist the opportunity to be back here working with the people who have created a model for building, expanding and amplifying the impact of talent pipelines. Baltimore Corps is helping to write the next chapter for our city, and I couldn’t be more excited or proud to be a part of this work.”
Interim President and CEO Sarah Flammang assumed the position after Harris stepped away to serve as the governor’s chief of staff. Flammang will depart Baltimore Corps this week to become Deputy Secretary at the new Maryland Department of Service and Civic Innovation. The press release describes it as one of Moore’s top priorities, as the department’s mission of building leadership through service closely aligns with the work of Baltimore Corps and City Corps.
York has more than a decade of leadership and experience working with state and local governments and community-based organizations across Maryland. She has spent her career at the forefront of some of Maryland’s most pressing social issues.
She took a junior-level policy position with the JOTF in 2011 after working as a paralegal. She rose to become the youngest and first Black female CEO at JOTF.
York also led the Coalition for a Safe and Just Maryland, a statewide group that successfully advocated for diminishing the role of cash bail in determining who goes free before standing trial.
“Caryn is the right person at the right time to take this organization to the next level and help drive our work beyond Maryland,” said Charlene Moore Hayes, Baltimore Corps Vice Chair and retired Senior Executive for Human Capital Strategy at Johns Hopkins University. “Her passion and life experiences exemplify the story we want to share and promote in Baltimore and beyond.”
