Michelle Tucker was selected as the United Way of Greater St. Louis’ next president and CEO through a unanimous decision by its Board of Directors.
Originally from East St. Louis, Tucker currently serves as president and CEO of Epworth Children and Family Services, where she was the first African-American and first female CEO in the agency’s 154-year history.
“It’s a rare occasion when passion, purpose and profession come together in this way, and I am incredibly excited to step forward to continue driving increased impacts and outcomes for those in need,” Tucker said in a statement; she declined an interview until she comes aboard on April 2. “I believe transformational times require transformational actions, and when United Way calls, you answer.”
She previously served nearly 20 years at Bank of America, where she was one of the establishing chairs of the Black Professional Affinity Group in St. Louis and a member of the bank’s national Diversity Action Council. She retired as senior vice president.
At Bank of America, Tucker told The American in 2014, she worked closely with “non-profits and community partners to better understand community needs and challenges and ways we might help develop and execute improvement strategies through thought leadership, volunteerism and grant-making.”
Tucker has been actively engaged with United Way over 20 years as a member of its community investment committee and Women’s Leadership Giving Society. She also previously held voluntary leadership positions as a cabinet member of United Way’s Charmaine Chapman – African American Leadership Giving Society, campaign chair of the Chapman de Tocqueville Society and co-chair of the 20th anniversary Charmaine Chapman Society Gala.
“Michelle’s strong understanding of the issues facing our communities, experience as a funder and CEO, commitment to the region she grew up in and her familiarity with United Way as a key volunteer were important factors in the search committee’s final decision in naming her CEO,” Rich McClure, chair of the board of directors for United Way of Greater St. Louis, said in a statement.
McClure said there was “a tremendous amount of interest in this position, from both local and national candidates.”
At Epworth, she oversees a staff of nearly 200 employees and programming that serves more than 10,000 youth and families annually. “I have a tremendous passion for the well-being of youth and families across our community,” she told The American when she took charge there in 2017.
“During her tenure, Michelle and the leadership team she assembled quickly improved impacts on our clients by elevating Epworth’s focus on quality programs, process efficiencies, organizational culture, talent recruitment and strategic collaborations,” said Bryan LeMoine, board chair of Epworth Children and Family Services.
Tucker currently serves as a member of the board of directors for Christian Hospital, Downtown STL, Inc., Missouri Coalition of Children’s Agencies and Nine Network Community Advisory, and she previously served on the boards of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Boys & Girls Club of Greater St. Louis and FOCUS St. Louis, where she also was past vice president. She credits her extensive work with these organizations over the past decade as the catalyst for her move into nonprofit leadership.
Tucker holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a master’s degree in business from Webster University.
Her award distinctions include the St. Louis America Foundation’s Excellence in Business Award, St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Diverse Business Leader, YWCA Leader of Distinction (corporate), Professional Organization of Women’s Leader of Distinction, Webster University’s George Walker School of Technology Alumnus of the Year and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis’ Women in Leadership Award.Â
“Michelle’s experience as a senior corporate executive, her deep knowledge of the needs of our region as a corporate funder, and her experience as CEO of a large United Way agency make her exactly the right choice to be our CEO,” said McClure. “We are confident in Michelle’s ability to lead United Way in serving our region as the organization leans into new strategic and transformative initiatives on the cusp of our centennial anniversary.”
She succeeds Orvin Kimbrough, who recently left to become CEO of Midwest BankCentre after 12 years of service to United Way with nearly six years as president and CEO.
