The Keystone Board of Directors announces the retirement of Mary McKeown, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective June 2, 2023.
The Board worked closely with Keystone leadership staff over the last 18 months to plan for this leadership transition and has named current Chief Operating Officer Adero Riser Cobb to succeed McKeown as President and CEO upon her retirement.
McKeown has served as President and CEO since April 2016, and her retirement comes after 40 years of work with community-based organizations, including 20 cumulative years working at Keystone. During McKeown’s tenure, Keystone expanded programming and services to meet the increased needs in the community. Today, Keystone supports 40% more neighbors than just seven years ago.
Notable accomplishments under McKeown’s leadership include:
- Developing new enrichment and employment opportunities for teens with the addition of programming at the Keystone Best Buy Teen Tech Center
- Expanding Keystone’s Case Management services to be able to serve an ever-increasing number of older adults and adults with disabilities, allowing them to remain living in the community
- Increasing food access opportunities throughout the community, including launching the successful Foodmobile program
- Guiding a strategic planning process, inviting input from 700+ community members to map the 5-year strategic framework for Keystone
- Launching a $10.5M comprehensive campaign to finance expanded services for our community through the Acceleration Fund and the Opening Doors to Food Security Campaign for the Keystone Community Food Center
- Steering the organization through two-plus years of ever-changing community conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic
“On behalf of the Board of Directors and our extended Keystone community, I want to thank Mary for her effective, innovative, and compassionate leadership of Keystone over the last seven years,” said Diane Gerth, Chair of Keystone’s Board of Directors. Gerth said that McKeown’s unwavering dedication and vision have allowed Keystone to rapidly expand existing programs and new services to address the emerging needs of the community.
Upon her retirement, McKeown will continue to work part-time as CEO Emeritus through the conclusion of the Opening Doors to Food Security Campaign to open the new Keystone Community Food Center.
“It has been an honor to lead Keystone over the last seven years and an even greater honor to have spent more than two decades of my career working at Keystone,” said McKeown. “There is something truly special about community center-based work; seeing the impact that can be made when neighbors help neighbors is powerful. Our community – colleagues, volunteers, participants, and supporters – has enriched every one of my days at Keystone. I look forward to remaining a part of the Keystone community and know I’m passing the baton to an incredible person and leader in Adero Riser Cobb.”
Gerth said the Board is delighted to welcome Adero Riser Cobb into the position of President and CEO. “Adero’s deep commitment to Keystone, her first-hand knowledge of our community and the opportunities that lie ahead, uniquely position her to continue guiding Keystone forward to respond to community needs.”
Riser Cobb has worked in human resources and business management with specialized and general focuses for more than 25 years. She earned a BA, MA in Organizational Management, and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Concordia University. Before joining Keystone, Riser Cobb held leadership positions at Olu’s Homes Inc./Olu’s Beginnings, Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, and other organizations and businesses in the Twin Cities. Riser Cobb joined the Keystone senior leadership team as Director of Human Resources and Operations in 2019 and has served as COO since 2021, overseeing organizational operations, including finance, facilities, human resources, and IT.
“Adero exemplifies Keystone’s values, advocating for our community, supporting our professional staff, and centering equity and our mission in all of her work,” said Gerth. “Her focus on operational excellence will be important as we work on a critical part of our strategy for the future – building Keystone’s Community Food Center.”
Riser Cobb is a lifelong resident of St. Paul. She and her two adult children have been connected to Keystone for more than 30 years. Adero Riser Cobb will become Keystone’s seventh President and CEO on June 2, 2023.
