Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio Announces Retirement of President and CEO Iris E. Harvey
For Immediate Release: Feb. 10, 2023 (Updated: Feb. 10, 2023, noon)
The reproductive rights leader, and fierce advocate for health equity will serve as President and CEO until June 2023
COLUMBUS – Today, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio, Iris E. Harvey announced her retirement after leading the organization for the past seven years. Harvey will continue to serve as the President and CEO until June 2023, at which time she will retire from the organization.
“Iris Harvey has led PPGOH with unwavering dedication to our patients and our mission for the last seven years. Thanks to Iris's stellar leadership and the talented senior team she has built, PPGOH remains the trusted provider for high quality reproductive healthcare for Ohioans now and into the future,” said Susan Quinn, Chair of PPGOH on behalf of the Board of Directors. “Thanks to Iris, our motto 'Care. No Matter What' will remain a steadfast reality.”
Harvey joined the PPGOH Board of Directors in 2011 and served as Board Chair in 2015 before moving into the role of President and CEO in 2016. She will remain a member of the Planned Parenthood Federation of America Board of Directors and the Planned Parenthood Global Advisory Board until her terms end. Harvey remains actively involved in volunteer leadership in the communities PPGOH serves. This leadership includes service as an inaugural member of the Columbus Women’s Commission, executive committee member of the First Year Cleveland Board, member of the SummaHealth Foundation Board, and member of the Direction Home Akron Canton Area Agency on Aging Board.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to serve PPGOH for over a decade,” said Harvey. “As I look back on my fifty-year career, I can say without hesitation that my years at Planned Parenthood stand out as my most memorable, demanding, and fulfilling work experience. I have great admiration for our amazing providers, staff, donors, supporters, and of course incredible and supportive Board of Directors.”
The Board of Directors have formed a succession committee to lead the search efforts for Harvey’s successor. Her successor will be announced prior to her departure in June.
Throughout Harvey’s tenure, she has been committed to advancing the PPGOH mission of providing safe, equitable, and accessible reproductive care. A fierce advocate of health equity and reproductive rights not only within Ohio, but across the nation. She continuously uplifted reproductive rights and justice on the national stage, issuing op-eds in outlets like The Hill, and being quoted as a trusted expert by The Washington Post, Axios, Oprah Daily, and more. Under her leadership, PPGOH introduced gender-affirming care, limited primary care and launched telehealth. PPGOH also invested $7 million building and renovating its health centers, began aligning compensation with market benchmarks and provided socially responsible benefits to workers such as paid family leave.
Even as federal and state funding were cruelly withheld from Planned Parenthood, the nationally recognized consulting firm Capital Link determined that under Harvey’s leadership PPGOH’s economic impact to Ohio was $51 million, generating $45 million in savings to Medicaid, and providing $88 million in savings to the overall health care system.
Harvey came to Planned Parenthood from Kent State University where she served as the Vice President for University Relations. In that role, she served as the chief strategist advising the university on advancing its brand, image and reputation, as well as highlighting its economic impact on Ohio communities. Iris’ private sector experience includes vice president positions with Citigroup, as well as CEO of Market Strategies & Solutions, Inc., a consulting firm she founded and operated for seven years while living in Japan.
A native of New Jersey, Iris has been a resident of Ohio for a decade. For her leadership and service, Harvey was recognized as a “Women of Note” by Cleveland Crain’s, a “Woman of Power” by the Akron Urban League, as a “Humanitarian in Education” by the Harold B. Stubbs organization, a finalist for the ATHENA Leadership award and inducted into the Marketing Hall of Femme by the Direct Marketing Association.
A Fulbright Scholar and Ford Foundation Scholar, Iris earned her B.S. in business administration and MBA degrees from the University of Southern California. She also holds an Ed.S. degree from The George Washington University.
###
Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio operates 17 health centers throughout Ohio, offering reproductive health care services for generations of Ohioans; supporting people of color, those with low incomes, and the LGBTQ+ community. PPGOH is committed to the health and safety of Ohio residents by doing everything they can to ensure everyone has access to the full range of reproductive health care, including safe and legal abortion.