KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The president and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Kansas City, Gwendolyn Grant, plans to retire in March 2027 as part of a long-term leadership transition plan.
ULKC announced in a press release that Grant, who has led the organization for 25 years and spent 31 years overall with ULKC, will serve as CEO and help guide the succession plan until a new leader is selected.
“Gwen Grant’s leadership has fundamentally shaped the Urban League of Greater Kansas City and the broader civic landscape of our region,” ULKC Board of Directors Chair Joe Davis said in a press release. “For more than three decades, she has led with courage, clarity and an unwavering commitment to justice — strengthening this organization, elevating the voices of our community and ensuring the Urban League remains a trusted and impactful institution for generations.”
In its 100-year history, Grant is the first woman to lead the organization, according to a press release.
Grant has led efforts to support residents and Black-owned businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as leading the Urban League Police Accountability Task Force after George Floyd’s death.
She was also awarded the National Urban League’s Women of Power Award in 2022, honoring her “decades of leadership and impact advancing civil rights and economic opportunity,” per a press release.
Another accomplishment of Grant’s includes her work with the State of Black Kansas City, a data-driven report that looks at progress and disparities using civic, economic, educational, health and social justice indicators.
“Gwen has been a passionate and fearless voice for social justice, economic empowerment for African Americans and women, and the advancement of civil rights,” Vice Chair of the Executive Board of ULKC Adam Sachs said in part in a press release. “She is a civil rights icon in our community whose leadership has changed lives and institutions.”
ULKC is also expanding its leadership team with the addition of Kansas City, Missouri, Councilwoman Melissa Robinson (3rd District) as president and chief operating officer (COO).
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