Akron Urban League welcomes new President & Chief Executive Officer John Williams
Exciting Announcement from the Akron Urban League!
The Akron Urban League is pleased to announce and welcome John Williams as the new President & Chief Executive Officer. Williams will be the successor to Teresa R. LeGrair who recently retired but will work with Williams to facilitate a smooth transition. An extensive search lead by Waverly Partners, a leading executive search firm, along with a Search Committee led by AUL Board Chair, Jolene A. Lane worked diligently to find the next leader of the Akron Urban League. Williams will assume his new role at the beginning of September.
Board chair Jolene A. Lane said, “Our Board is very excited to welcome John as President and CEO of the Akron Urban League. He has a vast amount of leadership experience in the non-profit and corporate sectors with specific expertise in fundraising, strategic management and relationship-building. He is a visionary and strategic thinker whose knowledge and skillset will help advance the mission of the Akron Urban League to the next level and lead us into the future. John’s leadership and management skills have proven to be effective in his past roles increasing budget and fundraising levels, and have revealed his ability to be an effective team leader. In addition, John’s active involvement serving on various boards and committees to improve the quality of life in greater Akron and Summit County is impressive and will be an asset to our organization. We are confident John will be an excellent leader.”
Williams most recently served as the President and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Michigan where he achieved significant success increasing their fund-raising efforts and expanding Habitat’s budget to serve more clients. Prior to Habitat for Humanity, Williams worked for Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, Incorporated, as Deputy Executive Director.
“I am thrilled and honored to have been chosen to lead the Akron Urban League particularly as we enter our centennial year. AUL has done so much for the community, and I am looking forward to building on past successes and leading the talented staff, to broadening our outreach, and to elevating and empowering more people to improve their quality of life.”
The mission of the Akron Urban League is to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Summit County, particularly African Americans, by advocating and facilitating programs that are economically and educationally transformational, impacting their lives and the lives of future generations.
