Elisabeth D. Babcock

president, Crittenton Women's Union

Elisabeth (Beth) D. Babcock, MCRP, PhD, is the President and CEO of Crittenton Women's Union (CWU). In this role, she oversees the growth and development of the $10 million organization with the mission to help low-income women and their families attain economic self-sufficiency. In 2008-2009, Beth served as the chair of the Cliff Effects Working Group of the Massachusetts Asset Development Commission, a group charged with making recommendations to ensure all Massachusetts residents have the opportunity to achieve economic security. Her academic and professional work focuses on strategic leadership of mission-driven organizations. Two of her most recent articles have appeared in the *Stanford Social Innovation Review* (SSIR), "Your Nonprofit Construction Manager: Complex Solutions Need Dedicated Project Managers", summer 2009, and "Achieving Breakthrough Performance", summer 2008, named top SSIR article of the year. Prior to her position at the Crittenton Women's Union, Beth was the President and CEO of Hearth, a nonprofit organization that she developed into a nationally-recognized model of supported housing, advocacy and research for homeless elders. She received a master's degree in city and regional planning, with a concentration in health and human services policy and planning, from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government and holds a PhD in nonprofit strategy from Harvard's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.