Kathryn Lawler Makes the 2025 Atlanta 500 List

Kathryn Lawler is CEO of Saint Joesph’s Health System and Mercy Care, Atlanta’s federally qualified health center. In 2024, Mercy Care, Pennrose and project partners celebrated the grand opening of McAuley Station Phase I, delivering 170 mixed-income apartments adjacent to the Mercy Care campus in the Sweet Auburn neighborhood of Atlanta. The $30 million development is part of the comprehensive, mixed-use McAuley Park master plan, which is named after Sister Catherine McAuley, who opened a shelter for homeless girls and women in 1827, leading to the founding of the Sisters of Mercy in 1831. Lawler came to Saint Joseph’s Health System from the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement, where she had served as executive director since 2017. She is known for helping both health systems and local organizations remain agile and relevant in their service delivery. With a background that integrates strategic planning, partnerships and policy, she is implementing a strategy that addresses both the direct needs of clients and communities and social determinants of health.
EDUCATION University of Notre Dame, Harvard University’s J.F. Kennedy School of Government (MPP)