Carolyn Cawley
President
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
Carolyn Cawley is president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and senior vice president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Under her leadership, the Foundation launched new signature programs, including the America Working Forward initiative to bring jobs to distressed communities; the Civic
Trust to engage students and parents in modern civics education and civil dialogue; and the Fast Forward event series to showcase innovators who are changing the way
we live and do business.

During the pandemic, her teams pivoted quickly to aid economic and health recovery and deliver impact in communities across the country. Notable programs include the award-winning Path Forward interview series designed to help business and community leaders find the answers they need to execute a responsible reopening strategy and plan for a post-pandemic world; the Coalition to Back Black Businesses delivering grants and mentorship to Black small business owners; and the America Works campaign to narrow the worker shortage and build stronger, more inclusive workforces.

Cawley joined the Chamber Foundation in 2015 with more than 20 years’ experience in both public service and business. She was a partner at the communications
consultancy FleishmanHillard and led some of the firm’s largest global accounts. In the Washington office, she was a member of the Management Committee, group leader for public affairs, and managing director of new business development.

Earlier in her career, she served on the speechwriting staff for President George H. W. Bush and later as an aide to California Governor Pete Wilson. Her husband’s military
career took them to the Middle East, where she launched an English-language business magazine in Egypt’s newly privatizing economy.

Raised abroad, Cawley moved to the U.S. to attend the University of California, earning a B.A. in political science.

She and her family are supporters of Habitat for Humanity and the Humane Rescue Alliance.
Carolyn Cawley