Alicia Wilson is the vice president for civic engagement and opportunity at Johns Hopkins University. In this role, Alicia leads and coordinates a broad range of strategic initiatives aimed at fostering community partnerships, economic growth, and civic engagement in Baltimore and beyond. She spearheads efforts to integrate and strengthen relationships between Johns Hopkins and surrounding communities. Alicia plays a pivotal role in overseeing community and civic engagement initiatives, collaborating on high-priority public impact projects, and advising on institutional matters of significance.
Prior to assuming this role, Alicia served as managing director and head of regional philanthropy for the North America Region at JPMorgan Chase. In this capacity, she oversaw local philanthropic strategies across more than 40 markets in North America, working closely with senior leaders across corporate responsibility and business units to drive meaningful impact. She played a key role in stewarding the firm’s $2 billion philanthropic commitment as part of its broader Racial Equity Commitment.
Before joining JPMorgan, Alicia was vice president of economic development for Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine and associate professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She led institutionwide strategies focused on real estate investments, economic and neighborhood development, health care, and education, solidifying Hopkins’ commitment to being a transformative force in its communities.
Prior to her work at Johns Hopkins, Alicia served as senior vice president of impact investments and senior legal counsel to the Port Covington Development Team, one of the largest urban revitalization efforts in the U.S. As such, she ensured that the $5.5 billion project generated measurable social and environmental impact alongside financial returns. She played a critical role in negotiating key community benefit agreements and tax increment financing legislation, helping to secure $660 million in financing for the development.
Previously, Alicia was a partner at Gordon Feinblatt, becoming the first African-American partner in the firm’s 60-year history. She built a reputation as a skilled trial attorney and strategic legal advisor, specializing in real estate, financial services, and employment law.
Alicia remains deeply engaged in civic and charitable organizations, serving on the boards of the University of Maryland School of Law Board of Visitors, the CollegeBound Foundation, the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and the France-Merrick Foundation. She is also co-founder of the Black Philanthropy Circle at the Baltimore Community Foundation and the Chair of the CollegeBound Foundation, where she made history as the first alum, first woman, youngest, and first Black board chair in the organization’s history.
A graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, Alicia has received numerous accolades for her professional and civic contributions. She was selected as the 2024 Voice of Justice Honoree by the University of Baltimore School of Law, one of the Power 50 Women of Influence for 2024 by the U.S. Black Chamber of Commerce, and one of Savoy Magazine’s Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America.
Alicia’s leadership, expertise, and unwavering commitment to civic engagement and economic empowerment continue to shape Baltimore and beyond, solidifying her reputation as a transformative leader in both the private and public sectors.
