Mary “MJ” McConner, Ph.D.

Dr. Mary “MJ” McConner is a nationally recognized leadership development expert and Founder & CEO of Inclusive Excellence Consulting, a Memphis-based boutique management firm specializing in leadership development, team effectiveness, and workplace culture transformation. A former higher education executive who advanced quickly into senior leadership, she has built a distinguished career at the intersection of leadership, workforce engagement, and human-centered strategy. Through customized professional development initiatives, she has supported professionals in more than 150 countries, equipping leaders and teams to collaborate with clarity and courage. 

Her work is deeply informed by lived experience. As a neurodivergent, hard-of-hearing leader who once felt pressure to conceal parts of her identity, Dr. McConner now champions a leadership philosophy rooted in Empathic Leadership, an approach that centers belonging, accessibility, and authenticity as strategic advantages. 

Since joining the Junior League of Memphis, TN in 2021, MJ has demonstrated sustained leadership and impact. She currently serves on the Board of Directors as Community Outreach Director (2024–2026), where she has helped place members in meaningful civic leadership roles across Memphis, including nonprofit boards and citywide engagement programs. Her prior League service includes APEX Committee Chair (2022–2023), APEX Co-Chair (2021–2022), and Innovative Teaching Grant Committee Member (2023–2024). She is also the 2024–2025 recipient of the T. LaShaun Wallace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award. Continuing her commitment to leadership development within the League, she has been appointed Training Manager for the 2026–2028 term. 

Beyond the League, Dr. McConner serves on several Memphis-area boards, including Crosstown High School, STS Enterprise Corporation, the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis GiVE 365 Advisory Team, and RISE Memphis. 

Her excellence has been widely recognized, including being named a 2025 Memphis Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree, 2025 CXO 2.0 Business Leadership Excellence Award recipient, and 2023 American Heart Association Mid-South Woman of Impact. In every space she enters, MJ builds leaders, strengthens institutions, and creates pathways for others to rise.