Carol Naughton

Carol Redmond Naughton is the Chief Executive Officer of Purpose Built Communities®, the national leader in holistic neighborhood transformation designed to generate upward economic mobility and improved health outcomes for residents. Purpose Built Communities forms long-term partnerships with local organizations fully invested in the hard work of transformation in their neighborhoods. Through expert pro-bono services and support, Purpose Built helps these local organizations center the voices of residents and advance their strategy through its proven model. Carol is responsible for setting the strategic vision of the organization, with a focus on expanding the impact and reach of Purpose Built, its Network, and the communities it serves. Carol has been with the organization since its inception in 2009 and became CEO in 2020. Under her leadership, Purpose Built has grown into a transformative force and a national leader in strengthening neighborhoods to create more access to the American dream for families across the country.

Prior to joining Purpose Built, Carol served as the executive director of the East Lake Foundation, where she played a critical role in shepherding the comprehensive revitalization of the East Lake neighborhood to put more families on a pathway to prosperity. Her prior experience includes serving as general counsel and deputy executive director of The Housing Authority of the City of Atlanta, where she was instrumental in developing the legal and financial model for mixed-income housing. Carol began her career as a commercial real estate lawyer in private practice in Atlanta.

Beyond her work with Purpose Built, Carol volunteers with several local and national organizations including serving on the board of directors for the Low Income Investment Fund and as a member of the Fifth Third Bank National Community Advisory Forum. She is also a Global Trustee of the Urban Land Institute. In the past, she served as a member of the board of directors of the Charles R. Drew Charter School and on the Build Healthy Places Network National Advisory Council.

Named to Forbes Magazine’s 2025 50 Over 50, selected as one of the 2025 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Women of Influence Honorees, Atlanta Magazine’s Atlanta 500, and Georgia Trend’s Georgia 500, Carol is a nationally sought-after voice on economic mobility, health, community transformation, education, and housing. Nationally recognized as a leader in place-based partnerships and community development, her published works have been featured in The Huffington Post, TEDx Atlanta, and the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco and Nonprofit Finance Fund’s book Investing in Results, among others.

Carol graduated from Colgate University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and from Emory University School of Law with a J.D.