Paul’s Place announced today that Tim Regan will lead the nonprofit organization as its new executive director, effective March 21st. Regan, who was most recently the executive director of FoodWorks, the workforce development program and social enterprise of the Maryland Food Bank, joins the organization following a six-month search to replace William “Bill” McLennan, who announced his retirement in 2021.
“As a Board of Directors, we could not be happier to welcome Tim to Paul’s Place. His skill set is a perfect fit for where we are as an organization, and we are excited to continue the work of improving life in Pigtown for some of the City’s most vulnerable. We look forward to the lasting impact Tim will make at Paul’s Place and in our Southwest Baltimore community,” said Graham Savage, president of the Paul’s Place, Inc. Board of Directors.
In joining Paul’s Place, Regan will oversee the more than two dozen services and programs the organization offers to low-income individuals and families in the Washington Village/Pigtown community, including its newest endeavor, Groundwork Kitchen, a restaurant and catering business that houses a culinary arts workforce development program. In addition, he will work to expand programming and partnerships with other organizations as the nonprofit continues its mission to improve the quality of life in the Southwest Baltimore communities.
“It is an honor to be a part of Paul’s Place, an organization known for its leadership in improving the quality of life of residents in Southwest Baltimore for the past 40 years,” said Regan. “The new social enterprise and workforce development program at Groundwork Kitchen is a tremendous extension of the organization’s great work, and I envision it is something we can continue to grow and build upon. I look forward to collaborating with my new colleagues at Paul’s Place and Groundwork Kitchen, as well as the organization’s many committed partners and friends who have helped to serve the people of Southwest Baltimore.”
As executive director of FoodWorks, a role he held since 2018, Regan oversaw a complete re-organization and expansion of the program, growing it to three locations across the state and increasing the social enterprise business over 10 percent per year for each of the last three years. Prior to that role, Regan served as vice president for Programs & Network Relations at Maryland Food Bank, where he directed all programming efforts and managed hundreds of network partners across the state. He joined Maryland Food Bank in 2015 as vice president for Human Resources and, in his first year, facilitated the search for the organization’s current president and CEO.
Regan had a successful career in the media industry before moving to Baltimore in 2013, with 20 years of experience as an executive in multiple corporate and regional roles at USA TODAY and Gannett, in Virginia, Delaware and Florida. He was recognized for his ability to lead significant strategic initiatives and for directing large-scale organizational changes, as well as for his creation of Gannett’s leadership development program. Regan also has nearly 10 years of experience in the biotech, engineering and telecommunications industries.
An active member of the community, Regan lent his time and expertise to various organizations in the non-profit sector. In Baltimore, he has served on the boards of Business Volunteers Maryland and Valley Bridge House, one of the oldest recovery programs in the city. He has also served on non-profit boards in Delaware and Florida.
Regan is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service.
“Building upon the incredible foundation that Bill McLennan and the Paul’s Place team have built, we are thrilled to welcome Tim Regan as our new executive director,” said Patty Lattin, Paul’s Place board member and a member of the search committee. “Tim knows Paul’s Place well, is experienced in social enterprise and has a deep connection to the mission of Paul’s Place. We are thrilled to see Tim’s vision for the next chapter of Paul’s Place come to life.”
“Tim is the right leader at the right time,” added Larry Laws, vice president of the Paul’s Place board of directors, who also served as a member of the search committee.
McLennan, who has served as executive director of the organization since 2002, announced his retirement in April 2021 and will stay on through March to support the transition. Under McLennan’s leadership, Paul’s Place has become known for its mission to be a catalyst and leader for change in Southwest Baltimore and, more broadly Baltimore City, but has also become known as a trusted human services outreach center serving individuals and families with respect and dignity.
During his nearly 20-year tenure, McLennan facilitated four strategic planning processes, which resulted in the successful expansion of Paul’s Place from a soup kitchen to a community outreach center that engages with the community to determine needs and create programs to assist with meeting those needs. In addition to continuing the weekday lunch program, the marketplace program was expanded to provide clothing to the community, and case management services were added to assist with benefits and access to health services, housing and employment. Summer Camp and an After-3 School program brought services to children. Most recently, McLennan oversaw the development and launch of Groundwork Kitchen, which has graduated 14 students to-date.
The Board of Directors and a search committee worked with executive search firm Marcum/Raffa to conduct the national search for a new executive director.
Paul’s Place is a catalyst and leader for change, improving the quality of life in the Washington Village/Pigtown neighborhood and the surrounding Southwest Baltimore communities. Paul’s Place provides programs, services, and support that strengthen individuals and families, fostering hope, personal dignity and growth. For more information on Paul’s Place, visit www.paulsplaceoutreach.org.
