Chairman, President, and CEO of Graybar Kathy Mazzarella has earned the 2026 Distinguished Leadership Award from The Conference Board’s Committee for Economic Development Center.
The Committee for Economic Development (CED) is the public policy center of The Conference Board. The nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led organization delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions in the nation’s interest. CED Trustees are chief executive officers and key executives of leading US companies who bring their unique experience to address today’s pressing policy issues. Collectively, they represent 30+ industries and over 4 million employees. Since its legacy CEO founders in 1942 developed the Marshall Plan for Europe, CED’s mission has been to harness the power of business leadership to chart a path forward to a more prosperous economy with equal opportunity for all Americans.
The CED Annual Distinguished Leadership Awards Celebration pays special tribute to business leaders and their companies who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in very challenging times and have helped our nation and the communities where they operate navigate the many challenges before us, including: advancing equal opportunity during a time of national economic uncertainty, building a more civil and just society, and upholding a rules-based international order.
The Awards Celebration commemorates the legacy of CED’s founders, America’s leading CEOs who, during WWII, heeded the call to public service to guide the transition from a wartime economy to a prosperous peacetime economy. Today, CED is fulfilling its mission by working to help ensure the nation meets the current challenges and seizes the historic opportunities with an economy that provides equal opportunity for all Americans.
The 2026 awards celebration will be held on October 21, 2026, in New York City, where the honorees will be introduced by leading executives—all of whom are distinguished leaders in their own right.
“At a time when principled leadership is more important than ever, this year’s honorees exemplify the integrity, vision, and civic commitment that strengthen our democracy and economy alike,” said David K. Young, President of CED. “Their efforts remind us that when business leads with purpose, the benefits extend far beyond boardrooms—reaching employees, communities, and the nation as a whole.”
As a member of Graybar, Kathy Mazzarella held executive-level positions in strategic accounts, human resources, strategic planning, sales and marketing. She was named executive vice president and chief operating officer in 2010. Ms. Mazzarella was appointed Graybar’s 11th president and CEO in 2012, and she became chairman of Graybar’s board of directors the following year.
Past winners of the CED Distinguished Leadership Award include Joaquin Duato, CEO of Johnson & Johnson, Jeff Harmening, Chairman and CEO of General Mills, Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture, and Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM.
Tagged with Biggest News, distributors, Graybar