When Dr. Arnel W. Cosey stepped into the CEO role at Clover (formerly Kingsley House), she described it as a full-circle moment — and the phrase rings true on multiple levels.
A New Orleans native shaped by the very community Clover serves, she has now become the first African American and person of color to lead an organization that has been a cornerstone of the city’s social fabric for 130 years. Serving individuals at every stage of life, Clover helps break the cycle of poverty by providing critical support to children, parents, seniors and veterans.
Cosey came to the position through an unusually wide lens. Before joining Clover’s executive team as strategy and impact officer in 2020, she served on its board of directors — a vantage point that gave her an intimate understanding of the organization’s mission, its strengths and its potential. Add more than 25 years at Delgado Community College, where she rose to vice chancellor of student affairs, and her transition to the top seat reads less like a leap than a natural arrival.
In her five years as strategy and impact officer, Cosey deepened Clover’s Whole Family framework — an integrated model that supports both children and the adults in their lives rather than addressing either group in isolation. She counts this shift toward in care among her proudest professional accomplishments.
“By aligning our support for both children and the adults in their lives, we’ve moved beyond fragmented care toward a more holistic, impactful approach,” she said.
This spring, Clover launched The CORE (Collaborative of Resources and Empowerment), a multi-partner initiative that brings together 14 community organizations to deliver two-generation, whole-family programs to New Orleans families. It’s a model Cosey sees as emblematic of the opportunity ahead to leverage the organization’s deep community trust to drive systemic change that no single organization could achieve alone.
While excited about the organization’s wins, Cosey is clear-eyed about the challenges, including navigating fiscal and policy uncertainty while protecting the families who depend on uninterrupted services. She said she is focused on disciplined resource diversification, elevating participant voices to shape programming and strengthening the internal culture that makes it all possible.
COMPANY
Clover
TITLE
Chief Executive Officer
Assumed New Position
April 2026
