Karon McFarlane, Chief Strategy Officer

Karon McFarlane is passionate about empowering communities to use the resources in their own neighborhoods so that they may thrive and advance at all levels. As a lifelong community organizer, she has dedicated her career to developing initiatives and programs that advance racial justice and equity. 

She began serving as Baltimore Corps’ inaugural Chief Operations Officer in 2022 and since has been appointed the Chief Strategy Officer in 2023.

Additionally, Karon designs and implements policies that promote an inclusive workplace culture of “kindness first, humans first.” Under her leadership, Baltimore Corps has been named a “Great Place to Work” since 2019. With expertise in maximizing growth and impact in organizations and communities, she also supports the Executive Team through organizational leadership, management, and strategic planning. 

Upon joining Baltimore Corps as director of programs in early 2017, she immediately focused her efforts on rebuilding and restructuring – growing the organization from a single flagship fellowship program to a suite of more than a dozen programs and initiatives. She was promoted to Vice President of Programs in 2019 and Vice President of Programs & Administration in 2020 before advancing to COO, and now Chief Strategy Officer.

As a skillful relationship builder with over 15 years experience in nonprofit leadership, Karon has ensured continual growth for the organizations she served through hiring and training initiatives, recruiting mentors and volunteers, engaging youth, and creating lasting business partnerships. Previously, she worked for World Vision in Greater New York where she advanced from community engagement program manager to national director of Community Engagement.

She has served on multiple boards and advisory councils, including the Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York and Challenge Charter School Network. She earned her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Alabama. She also holds a master’s in public administration from the Syracuse University, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and a master’s in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Karon McFarlane
Pronouns: she/her
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kamcfarlane-3572597/