The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education (MBAE) has named a Shawmut Design and Construction executive and 2013 Boston mayoral candidate as its chairman of the board of directors.

Bill Walczak, vice president for external relations at Shawmut Design and Construction, will lead the MBAE’s New Opportunity to Lead campaign, which strives to engage business, education, and policy leaders to address challenges in the Massachusetts education system.

Walczak, a MBAE board member for more than eight years, is founder of the Codman Square Health Center, a multi-service center where he was CEO from 1980 to 2011 founding president of Codman Academy Charter School and founder of the Edward Kennedy Health Careers Academy. From 2011-2012, he served as president of Carney Hospital and in 2013 was a candidate for mayor of Boston.