Anthony “Tony” Boswell is a proven and compassionate leader and advocate for the marginalized with a three-decade track record of successfully working with, through, and for the benefit of underserved communities in the healthcare, human services, education, legal, government and nonprofit sectors.
Drawing upon a successful national track record and deep local expertise, Tony is well positioned to advance the Center’s vision of growing into the region’s preeminent provider of behavioral and mental health services.
Tony is McClendon Center’s first CEO and the first person of color to lead the organization since its founding in 1980. He brings extensive experience advocating for vulnerable populations, including youth living in poverty and marginalized people with behavioral health needs.
Tony joins the Center after serving the past five-plus years at a national mental and behavioral healthcare provider, where he successfully led turnarounds as the Executive Director for three distinct behavioral and mental health providers — in Springfield/Worcester, Massachusetts, New Orleans, Louisiana and Washington, DC.
In addition to these leadership posts, Tony has served as the Chair of the DC Behavioral Health Association’s Board of Directors since 2019. He has been a member of the DCBHA Board for each of the past four years, previously serving as Board Treasurer from 2018-2019.
Tony began his career as a healthcare attorney prior to serving in various leadership roles spanning corporate ethics and compliance, government service, and the international and not-for-profit business sectors.
Throughout his career, whether in a legal, corporate compliance or business leadership role, Tony’s unique ability to build and sustain critical partnerships with a diverse set of stakeholders has proven to be a difference maker. At each juncture, he has had the good fortune of leading people, building enterprises, shaping policy, and sparking change.
Tony earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and holds a Master of Education degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as his bachelor’s degree from Stony Brook University. Tony and his wife, Kay-Ann, are the parents of two children.
