Donald E. Lassere leads the Muhammad Ali Center and fosters its mission of building and expanding on the Center’s educational programs, partnerships, and other outreach initiatives.
He facilitated a comprehensive rebranding process and implemented a strategic plan that focused the Center on the three primary program areas of education, global citizenship, and gender equality.
Lassere also launched the Muhammad Ali Global Humanitarian Awards, designed to inspire and encourage young people worldwide to become actively involved in social justice issues that impact their communities, countries and the world.
Prior to joining the Muhammad Ali Center, Lassere served as senior vice president of programs at Scholarship America. In this role, he administered over 1,200 scholarships, tuition reimbursement and education assistance programs amounting to over $160 million annually.
Previous to Scholarship America, Lassere spent over 20 years working at top tier organizations including Gallup Consulting, Enron Corporation, Ernst & Young Consulting, and Verizon.
He currently serves as the chair for the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Lassere is on the advisory board for the Family Business Center. He is also on the Jeffersonville County Technical College Presidential Search Task Force.
Lassere holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, and a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco.