This January, we’re celebrating a major milestone at Community of Hope: 25 years of Kelly Sweeney McShane’s leadership as President and CEO.
When Kelly stepped into the role in 2001, Community of Hope was a much smaller organization full of possibility. Over the past two and a half decades, Kelly guided Community of Hope through extraordinary growth and change through thoughtful leadership grounded in people, purpose, and vision.
Under her leadership, Community of Hope has completed five strategic plans, grown access to care by opening Marie Reed Health Center and later renovating and expanding, added the Conway Health and Resource Center and The Commons at Stanton Square; merged with the Family Health and Birth Center and expanding in 2022. She has strengthened pathways to stable housing for families across Washington, DC by expanding the comprehensive approach model through partnerships with DC Department of Human Services to include Permanent Supportive housing and Rapid ReHousing, and by adding short-term family shelters, including The Triumph and The Aya.
Kelly has spent more than 35 years working in ending homelessness in DC through leading two nonprofits and serving on the DC Interagency Council on Homelessness. She came to Community of Hope with everything to learn about healthcare and is now one of the most experienced community health center leaders in DC. She has served on the DC Primary Care Association’s Board of Directors, now serving as the chair of the board. She has been recognized for her leadership and vision, including awards from the Eugene and Agnes Meyer Foundation, the DC Primary Care Association, The Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy Initiatives Washington Women of Excellence Award in 2015, the 2017 Women Who Mean Business from the Washington Business Journal, and 2024 Washington Business Journal Innovators in Health Care Leader. Under her leadership, Community of Hope has also been named a Washington Post Top Workplace eight times since 2014 and received 2012 Washington Post Excellence in Nonprofit Management Award — a reflection of the supportive, mission-driven culture she’s helped build alongside staff and leaders.
Beyond building a culture of support at Community of Hope, she has also touched the lives of those who witness her commitment to doing better for our community.
She’s known around the halls of Community of Hope as an approachable and supportive leader—not to mention—someone who loves to dance. David Brewster, patient and former board member says of his experience with Kelly, “My voice is as equally important at the table“
Join us in congratulating Kelly on this incredible milestone. Watch here to see what some of our Community of Hope team members had to say as they reflected on her 25th anniversary.
