Carrington & Carrington Assists the Southland Development Authority with President Search
March 27, 2025 – Carrington & Carrington Diversity Executive Search has assisted in the recruitment of Felicia D. Hardy as president of the Southland Development Authority (SDA) in Chicago. “As a Certified Business Intermediary (CBI) from the International Business Broker Association (IBBA), Felicia’s invaluable insights and growth strategies will have a major impact on our efforts to drive economic prosperity and create vibrant communities across the Southland region,” said Bo Kemp, CEO of the Southland Development Authority. “Her expertise aligns perfectly with our mission to drive transformative, inclusive, equitable growth in the forty-five cities, towns and villages spanning Chicago’s South Suburbs.”
Ms. Hardy will run the operations of the organization and work directly with Mr. Kemp who will remain its CEO. She has served as one of the organization’s founding board members since 2019 and has helped to oversee its business growth services in 2022, a program that serves 700 Southland businesses annually. With extensive corporate and consulting experience leading cross-functional global teams and aligning strategies to meet business goals, Ms. Hardy is positioned to make a significant impact on the SDA’s growth trajectory.
Ms. Hardy’s appointment comes after a year of substantial economic growth in Chicago’s South Suburbs driven by various SDA-led programs, including the Metals HUB program, a transformative effort to restore the manufacturing legacy of the South Suburbs, and its management agreement of the South Suburban Land Bank, a unique collaboration that coordinates the use of land parcels for economic prosperity. Ms. Hardy’s focus on the SDA’s existing efforts will allow the SDA to continue its efforts to launch a new fund for direct investment in residential, commercial and industrial real estate in the Southland. These real estate investments will not only further our economic growth mission but also support the organization’s ability to become financially self-sufficient.
The Southland Development Authority is a non-profit business organization designed to grow the economy of the South Suburbs. Launched in 2019 by business, civic and political leaders across the Southland, the Authority brings the resources and capacity necessary to achieve transformative and inclusive economic growth for the region. It focuses on investment in industry, workforce, housing, and communities.
Carrington & Carrington, with offices in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Memphis, was founded in 1979 and specializes in the recruitment and placement of African Americans, Latinos, women, LGBTQ, and other diverse professionals. It places middle management and senior level executives across various industries and functional areas. Co-founded by Willie and Marian Carrington, the firm ranks as one of the most respected African American-owned search firms in the nation.
Mr. Carrington has played and continues to play a significant role in increasing the representation of diverse professionals in major companies including banking, finance, manufacturing, and utilities. Prior to this, he was executive director of Inroads/Chicago and an auditor for the former CPA firm Arthur Andersen & Company.
Related: Carrington & Carrington Recruits Chief Diversity Officer for McDonald’s
Ms. Carrington is heavily focused in the firm’s healthcare, academic, and non-profit sectors. She was previously a human resources and operations executive with Allstate Insurance. She focuses in large part on the healthcare, academic, and non-profit sectors.
Recent Interview with Hunt Scanlon Media
This past spring, Ms. Carrington sat down with Hunt Scanlon Media to discuss the Federal Trade Commission’s new rule that bans non-compete clauses for workers across all industries, with limited exceptions. “I am expressing my strong support for the new law that seeks to ban non-compete clauses in employment contracts,” said Ms. Carrington. “As a search leader, I have witnessed firsthand the negative impact these clauses can have on individuals and the broader economy. Non-compete clauses restrict employees from working for a competitor or starting a competing business for a certain period after leaving their current job.”
“While these clauses may have been intended to protect businesses, they often have the unintended consequence of limiting job mobility, stifling innovation, and suppressing wages,” Ms. Carrington says. “By banning non-compete clauses, the new law will help foster a more competitive and dynamic labor market. It will enable employees to seek better opportunities and utilize their skills and knowledge more effectively. This, in turn, will encourage innovation and entrepreneurship, leading to economic growth and job creation. Moreover, banning non-compete clauses is a matter of fairness.”
“These clauses disproportionately affect minorities and low wage workers who are less able to negotiate the terms of their employment,” said Ms. Carrington. “They can be particularly harmful in industries where there are few employers to choose from, leaving them with little choice but to accept these restrictive terms. In conclusion, this ban is a step in the right direction towards creating a more equitable and vibrant labor market that benefits both employees and businesses.”
Related: Carrington & Carrington Called in to Fill Senior Position for Rochester Regional Health
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
