Mary Ellen Wiederwohl was recently named President & CEO of Accelerator for America, a national “do tank” focused on cities and economic opportunity. She has more than two decades of experience in business, civic leadership, and public affairs, including recent service as Interim President & CEO of LHOME, Louisville’s homegrown community development financial institution (CDFI). She was the founding leader of Louisville Forward, the city's economic and community development arm; under her leadership from 2014-2020, Louisville Forward was named a Top Economic Development Organization six times by Site Selection Magazine. During her city tenure, Louisville experienced more than $17 billion of new capital investment, made substantial new investments in affordable housing, and introduced industry-leading innovations in talent development and the future of work; Mary Ellen's leadership included oversight for the development and implementation of the city’s Strategic Plan, the Vision Louisville 25-year advanced plan, the Move Louisville strategic multi-modal transportation plan, and the city’s first sustainability plan.