Mary Jo Meisner

Mary Jo Meisner is a senior executive with over 30 years of experience spanning journalism, media, communications, and public policy. As Vice President for Communications, Community Relations, and Public Affairs at The Boston Foundation, she transformed it from a grant-making organization into a $1B civic leadership powerhouse—launching high-profile public policy initiatives, landmark centennial events, and successful branding strategies that elevated its national presence. Earlier, as Editor and Vice Chairman of Fidelity’s Community Newspaper Co., Mary Jo led a team of 450 and helped turn around the financial performance of New England’s largest newspaper group, culminating in a $110 million sale.

Mary Jo is the founder of MJM Advisory Services, where she counsels senior leaders on social impact strategy. Her journalism career includes leadership roles at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and The Washington Post. She currently serves on multiple boards, including uAspire, College Bound Dorchester, WBUR, and the Boys and Girls Club of Boston. Mary Jo earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois and is an alumna of Harvard’s Advanced Leadership Initiative, with additional executive training at MIT, Harvard Business School, and Babson.