FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 27, 2025 
Contact: Jack Cardinal, jcardinal@communitycatalyst.org 

Linda Goler Blount, MPH, begins tenure as President & CEO with a bold focus on equity, accountability, and people-powered change 

Boston, MA — Community Catalyst proudly announces that Linda Goler Blount, MPH has officially begun her tenure as President and CEO, now entering her second week at the helm. Her leadership marks a new chapter for the national health justice organization at a time of both urgent defense and transformational opportunity.

A nationally recognized public health leader and expert on race equity and systems change, Goler Blount brings more than 25 years of cross-sector experience to her new role. She most recently served as President and CEO of the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI), where she led the organization through a decade of growth and impact – elevating Black women’s health as a national policy priority and launching major collaborations with public and private partners, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“I’m honored to step into this role at such a critical time,” said Goler Blount. “Our health system is at a crossroads. Every day, people are being priced out of the care they need and pushed into debt. The human cost is clear – but so is the financial one. We can no longer afford the myth that equity is optional. Community Catalyst is uniquely positioned to help turn bold ideas into lasting, people-powered change – and I’m here to help lead that charge.”

As a capstone to her first week leading Community Catalyst, Goler Blount delivered the 2025 commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy & Practice. In her powerful remarks, she urged graduates to lead with humility, confront injustice with courage, and prioritize effectiveness over perfection. Drawing on her decades of work in public health and social justice, Blount reminded students: “You don’t have to do this work – you get to do it.”

At Community Catalyst, Goler Blount will lead a team of advocates, strategists, and organizers working in deep partnership with more than 350 organizations across 45 states and Washington, D.C. Her leadership will focus on advancing the organization’s mission to build a health system rooted in race equity and health justice, while ensuring that those most harmed by the current system have the power to shape what comes next.

“Linda brings the clarity, courage, and cross-sector expertise this moment demands,” said Robert Phillips, Board Chair of Community Catalyst. “She’s the right leader to help us confront today’s challenges – and to build a health system that truly works for everyone.”

As President & CEO, Goler Blount will lead Community Catalyst’s work across six strategic initiatives:  
  • Coverage & Care – expanding coverage, improving access to trusted providers, and protecting hard-won gains like Medicaid and the ACA.
  • Health & Economic Justice – confronting the root causes of medical debt and high health care costs that harm families and communities.
  • Community-First Public Health – ensuring public health systems are accountable to and shaped by the communities they serve.
  • Health System Innovation – reimagining how care is delivered and paid for with community input at the center.
  • Organizing People & Power – building grassroots power to challenge corporate influence and drive bold, people-first policy change.
  • People Over Profit – shifting the balance of power away from profit-driven health care models to center human dignity and health justice. 

Goler Blount holds a Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering and Operations Research from Eastern Michigan University.

To learn more about Goler Blount and her vision for Community Catalyst, visit communitycatalyst.org.

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About Community Catalyst

Community Catalyst is a national organization dedicated to building the power of people to create a health system rooted in race equity and health justice. In partnership with local, state, and national organizations, Community Catalyst advances policy, builds community power, and transforms systems to ensure health is a right for all.