Photo: Black Economic Alliance
WASHINGTON, D.C. – (July 15, 2021) The Black Economic Alliance (BEA), a nonpartisan group of Black business leaders, welcomes Gabrielle Sulzberger and Deval Patrick to its Board of Directors.
Their appointment to the Board was effective as of June 15, 2021.
Patrick is the former two-term governor of Massachusetts, the first Black person to hold that office in the Commonwealth, and only the second Black elected governor of any state since Reconstruction. Previously, he served as Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice in the Clinton Administration, a staff attorney at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a partner at two Boston law firms, and a senior executive of two Fortune 50 companies. Governor Patrick also founded and grew an impact investment fund at Bain Capital focused on investments that deliver both a competitive financial return and significant positive social impact. He currently serves as a Senior Advisor at Bain Capital; co-chair of American Bridge 21st Century Foundation, a progressive political action committee; and on several corporate, charitable, and policy boards.
Sulzberger is a seasoned financial executive and corporate governance expert with over 30 years of experience assisting public and privately held companies in consumer products, retail, financial services, and health sciences. In addition to serving as a strategic advisor to Two Sigma Impact, she is a Trustee of the Ford Foundation and previously served as Chairman of the Board of Whole Foods. Sulzberger currently serves as a director on the boards of Eli Lilly and Company, Mastercard Incorporated, Brixmor Property Group Inc., and Cerevel Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., among others.
“Deval and Gaby are prominent leaders in business, government, and their communities and uniquely positioned to accelerate the BEA mission,” said Charles Phillips, Co-Chair of BEA; Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Recognize. “BEA is driving multiple projects to expand the Black economy and touch more families. From our Center for Black Entrepreneurship at the Atlanta University Center, to voting rights, to workforce development, these efforts require the energy, insights, and relationships that Deval and Gaby bring to the organization.”
“The BEA board is elated to add Deval and Gaby to our ranks,” said Tony Coles, Co-Chair of BEA; Executive Chairman and CEO of Cerevel Therapeutics. “Both of these leaders have been phenomenal supporters of BEA’s mission and work to date, so we’re fortunate that they’ve agreed to answer the call of duty to serve in this formal capacity to help lead BEA to higher heights.”
“I am excited to add the impressive experience of Gaby Sulzberger and Deval Patrick to the Black Economic Alliance. Our Board of Directors is instrumental to our strategy, work, and impact. The collective expertise that these two dynamic leaders bring to BEA will be critical in advancing our continued growth and evolution,” said David Clunie, Executive Director of BEA.
“BEA’s mission is what much of my life’s work has been about — to make real opportunity and lasting change for Black people through advocacy, politics, public policy, and collaboration with the business community,” said Governor Deval Patrick, BEA Board Member. “BEA’s leadership team has built a formidable organization to transform the economic prospects for Black Americans, and I look forward to working with Gaby and the rest of the board to support them.”
“I am excited to join this powerful coalition of Black business leaders on BEA’s board alongside Deval to expand the impact of this important organization,” said Gaby Sulzberger, BEA board member. “I care deeply about the economic advancement of Black Americans, and I look forward to leveraging my experience to help steer BEA’s strategic imperatives.”
