Larita Clark

Appointed in January 2020, Larita Clark is the Chief Executive Officer for the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) and is the first African American woman to hold that position. MPEA owns and operates McCormick Place, North America’s largest convention center.  

Prior to being appointed CEO, Larita served as Chief Financial Officer for MPEA.  In that role, she provided leadership direction in MPEA’s strategy to become operationally self-sufficient and deliver incremental tax revenue to the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois. During her tenure with the Authority, Larita has held various financial positions, including Controller, Director of Finance and Administration of McCormick Place, and Assistant Controller. She began her career as an auditor with Peat Marwick Mitchell.

A graduate of Loyola University of Chicago and Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, Larita grew up in West Garfield Park and was class valedictorian at Austin High School.