Lisa Blunt Rochester

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during the “Age of Aquarius” and raised in Wilmington, Delaware at the height of the civil rights and women’s movements, Lisa Blunt Rochester was shaped by forces well beyond her control. The oldest of three daughters born to a strong family, she always sensed the beauty of our differences and human connectedness as told through our stories.

With a thirst to understand other cultures and peoples, she earned a B.A. degree in International Relations and an M.A. degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy. She served as the first African-American woman secretary of labor in the state of Delaware, and the first African-American state personnel director and deputy secretary of Health and Social Services. Healthcare reform, unemployment, homelessness, and human resource management were among the areas she and her teams tackled.

One of her greatest challenges led to her first major published work. August 2001, just before the 9/11 attacks, Lisa, as State Personnel Director was commissioned by Delaware’s first woman governor to investigate the Delaware State Police for racial and sexual discrimination. Working with local and national experts in policing and civil rights, the Blunt-Bradley Report was published and served as a roadmap to improve the internal and external relations of the State Police. From government, she became the CEO of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League, a non-profit focused on improving the educational, economic and health status of people of color.

In all of these capacities, she gave speeches, held seminars and leadership courses and mentored countless women. In addition, she produced and hosted a local-access television show, “Delaware Works!” The show featured information on childcare, health and transportation resources, and even a segment on “How to dress for success for less.” The goal was simple -- to empower people to become “their best selves.”