Dec. 26, 2013
New Urban League President Takes Helm in Nation's Capital
George H. Lambert Jr.
Maudine Cooper
(TriceEdneyWire.com) - The Great Washington Urban League, a leading community service organization in the nation’s capital, has announced the appointment of George H. Lambert Jr. as new president/CEO.
Lambert, who served as the CEO of the Lorain County Urban League in Lorain, Ohio, and is former CEO of the Northern Virginia Urban League in Alexandria, Va., succeeds the popular Maudine Cooper, who received a star-studded sendoff in November after serving in the position for 23 years.
“Lambert will be a great asset to the Greater Washington Urban League and we are confident he will hit the ground running,” stated Jerry A. Moore III, GWUL board chair in a release. “His knowledge and understanding of the Urban League will make for a smooth transition, and his vast experience in the non-profit and the private sectors, as well as his desire to serve the community, will ensure our continued success well into the future.”
As one of the 95 NUL affiliates across the country, the GWUL – with a staff of about 60 - serves to strengthen racial minority communities in areas of economics, education, and other areas of social inequities. Lambert must deal with a poverty rate at nearly 20 percent in the 50 percent Black District of Columbia, which is increasingly grappling with issues of gentrification and a struggling public education system. The GWUL also serves communities in Prince George’s and Montgomery County, Md.
Cooper says she has “very high regard for George as a person, professional, and colleague… He’s a first-rate intellect with a great intellectual curiosity and a wonderful sense of humor. With his combined devotion and appreciation of the League, it makes him a wonderful choice. Energetic and engaging, he is ideally suited to marshal the talents and resources of the League and continue to maximize its potential as a community leader in the Washington, D.C., metro area.”
That’s a huge endorsement coming from Cooper, who was honored by hundreds who lined up to send her off at a November retirement celebration. Known for her diligent service to citizens from all walks of life, she was praised by people from families she has served to D.C. politicians to national leaders. The participants included former National Urban League presidents Vernon Jordan and Hugh Price, current President/CEO Marc Morial, D. C. Mayor Vincent Gray, members of the D. C. City Council and hundreds of community leaders and associates. Reality star Omarosa Manigault served as mistress of ceremonies for the program.
Lambert also has a stellar record of service. He comes to GWUL with 15 years of experience as an Urban League CEO, a combination of his service to the Lorain County and Northern Virginia Urban Leagues. He has also served as a mid-west central region consultant to the National Urban League.
In the private sector, Lambert worked as a public affairs senior executive in charge of strategic alliance initiatives on behalf of Fortune 50 telecommunications clients. He also served as a senior principal with the Gasby Group, a full-service strategic fundraising firm. In the non-profit arena, Lambert served as the Senior Director for Resource Development Operations for United Way of the National Capital Area.
“I am honored and humbled to assume the presidency of this great institution, which truly is one of the best Leagues in the country,” Lambert said in a statement. “GWUL is devoted to public service and is dedicated to Washington, D.C., Prince George’s and Montgomery County, Maryland communities. It’s a tremendous opportunity and challenge to be asked to sustain and extend its traditions and achievements.”