Tony Allen
President and CEO of Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League
Tony Allen is the Founding President, Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League; Senior Executive, Bank of America. Allen leads the Corporate Reputation group in Global Marketing & Corporate Affairs at Bank of America.
His team develops and monitors programming to influential external audiences including media elites, academics in areas important to the bank, and elected officials and their staff at federal and local levels. He is also responsible for ongoing reputation analysis and related research.
His team is also responsible for providing integrated communications support for the company’s brand, corporate social responsibility initiatives and local market delivery, which includes regional media relations throughout the U.S. In addition, he is co-chair of the Global Marketing & Corporate Affairs Diversity & Inclusion Council.
Previously, he held various executive roles at Bank of America, leading communications for consumer banking, including card products in the U.S., Ireland, Spain and the U.K., as well as for the global commercial bank. He began his banking career as executive vice president at MBNA America Bank.
Prior to coming to the bank, Tony spent many years in the not-for-profit and public service sectors. He was the founding president of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League where he advocated for equity in education, minority business procurement and urban revitalization. His work touched thousands of small, minority and women-owned businesses and Delaware children. Tony also worked for several years with current Vice President of the United States Joseph R. Biden, serving as a speechwriter and special assistant. He started his career as the co-founder of Public Allies Delaware, a leadership organization for young adults interested in full-time, public service careers. Since 1994, more than 500 “Allies” have graduated from the program contributing nearly 1 million hours of volunteer service to Delaware communities.
Currently, Tony chairs the Wilmington Education Improvement Commission, a group of school, city and community leaders organized to strengthen Wilmington schools, the largest metropolitan city in the State of Delaware.
He is a trustee at the University of Delaware and the Laffey-McHugh Foundation and director emeritus with the Wilmington Hope Commission. He is also the chairman emeritus of the National Urban Fellows, the oldest academic fellowship for mid-career professionals of color in the country, and previously was the statewide chair for the United Way of Delaware’s $20 million campaign.
Tony is a Whitney M. Young awardee for Advancing Racial Equality, the National Urban League’s highest honor, and in 2012 he was named Delaware Citizen of the Year. He has received many other honors in his career. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a doctorate in urban affairs & public policy from the University of Delaware as well as a master’s in public administration from Baruch College (City University of New York). He lives with his family in Wilmington.
ARTICLES:
Equality Index 
Senate Report 
2020 SOBA Essays 
2019 Report 