By Deborah Bailey
AFRO Contributing Editor
Baltimore’s Alicia Wilson returns home this spring as the inaugural Johns Hopkins University vice president of civic engagement and opportunity. Wilson, an East Baltimore native, returns to Hopkins to continue building the community partnerships she helped create during her prior experience as JHU’s vice president for economic development and community partnerships from 2019-2O22.
“As I take this next step, I look forward to building on those experiences and contributing to a community and institution that means so much to me. I am grateful to God for this opportunity,” Wilson said in a statement.
Johns Hopkins has served as a primary investor in reshaping East Baltimore dating back more than 20 years in an ambitious $1.8 billion mixed-use revitalization project supplemented by other philanthropies, business owners and investors, and city, state and federal agencies.
The initial JHU-led initiative has had a mixed reception from East Baltimore residents who were promised benefits from the medical complex’s expansion into the community. The redevelopment was first conceptualized during the administration of Baltimore Mayor Martin O’ Malley during his tenure 2000-2007.
State Sen. Cory McCray (D-District 45), who represents the East Baltimore community where much of JHU expansion has taken place, welcomes Wilson’s return.
“Alicia Wilson’s return to Hopkins as vice president for civic engagement is a significant win for Baltimore and our communities. As a proud daughter of Baltimore and a graduate of Baltimore City Public Schools, Alicia brings a lived understanding of the challenges we face and the potential we hold. She embodies what it means to be deeply connected to the city’s heartbeat, carrying with her the wisdom of our neighborhoods and the resilience of our people,” McCary said.
Wilson will report directly to JHU President Ron Daniels, and serve alongside Vice President of Government, Community and Economic Partnerships Maria Harris Tildon and Vice President of Public Impact Initiatives Beth Blauer. Her return comes after spending the last two years as managing director of JPMorgan Chase’s North American regional philanthropy team, overseeing the bank’s local philanthropic strategies across more than 40 markets.
Wilson’s role at JHU isn’t the first time she has stood to build trust between guarded Baltimoreans and large corporate interests. From 2016 through 2019, Wilson led Port Covington’s economic and community development team, a major redevelopment project initiated by former Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. Wilson was able to persuade community leaders to come to the table on a $150 million public tax increment (TIF) financing of the project.
McCray is hopeful that with Wilson at the table, real partnership and opportunity with JHU becomes a reality.
“Her leadership at Hopkins is an opportunity to turn potential into progress, ensuring that economic development reaches every corner of our district, especially the neighborhoods that need it most. Alicia doesn’t just step into her role—she embraces it with purpose, passion, and an understanding of what’s possible when equity and opportunity lead the way.”
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