The Leader of Change Award recognizes an individual who is making or has made deep impact in helping to create a more just and equitable Boston through critical and sustainable change. We are elated to announce Dr. M. Lee Pelton as this year’s honoree! Dr. Pelton has served as the 12th president of Emerson College in Boston since 2011 and is the incoming CEO & President of The Boston Foundation, one of the nation’s leading philanthropic organizations. 

Dr. Pelton is a well-respected thought and innovation leader, known internationally as a spokesperson on the value of a liberal arts education and the importance of leadership development, civic engagement, and diversity in higher education.  Most recently, Dr. Pelton was named one of The 100 Most Influential People in Boston and appointed Boston Racial Equity Fund (chair), with an accompanying $100,000 Racial Justice Grant in his honor, to be distributed to selected non-profits.  Numerous additional recognitions have been bestowed upon Dr. Pelton over the last 9 years. In a June 2020 Boston Globe Op-Ed article viewed around the world, Dr. Pelton characterized the killing of George Floyd as a “legalized lynching” and shared several of his raw encounters with racism.  He went on to share that he has dedicated his life’s work to social justice in just about every aspect of American life, but especially for young people who grew up like him.  We honor his candor, courage, and leadership.