Greg Deavens, left, and Larry Platt, co-founder and co-executive director of The Philadelphia Citizen, at the Citizens of the Year Awards dinner on February 25, 2025.
Award recognizes inspiring changemakers
Gregory E. Deavens, president and CEO at Independence Blue Cross (IBX), was honored by The Philadelphia Citizen with the “Lewis Katz Corporate Citizen of the Year” for his role in making the Philadelphia area better and inspiring others to do the same.
The Citizen recognized Deavens and nine other impactful Philadelphians at its second annual Citizens of the Year Awards dinner on February 25. The winners “embody The Citizen’s mission of solutions-focused action and activate Philadelphians to make change.”
“If we work together, we can make Philadelphia the greatest city in the country to live, work and thrive…I ask you all to join me in committing to move Philadelphia ‘all the way up,’” Gregory E. Deavens said at the awards dinner.
Under Deavens’ leadership, IBX has prioritized equitable, whole-person health. This encompasses integrating physical and behavioral health and reducing racial and economic health disparities. An article in The Citizen about Greg and his honor mentioned some IBX initiatives, including:
- The 2023 launch of the Coalition to Eliminated Race-Based Medicine, which is working to remove race “adjustments” from 15 commonly used clinical decision support tools that may adversely impact patients’ outcomes. IBX convened major health systems and educational institutions.
- The partnership between the Independence Blue Cross Foundation and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that provides behavioral health services to students at Girard College.
Additionally, through his role as the board chair of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia, Deavens strives to help the region become more vibrant through the upward economic mobility of Philadelphians.
In The Citizen profile, Mike Innocenzo, chief operating officer of Exelon and last year’s Corporate Citizen of the Year, said, “Greg is a humble and genuine leader who cares about the city and region and all who live and work here. He understands the role that the business community plays in improving the quality of life in Philadelphia. Greg’s authenticity and drive to make things better continues to inspire all of us around him.” Sharmain Matlock-Turner, CEO of the Urban Affairs Council, added that she admires Deavens’ “ability to combine strategic vision with a collaborative spirit, ensuring that corporate resources are not only aligned with community needs but are driving measurable progress.”
