About
The Urban League of Hampton Roads
The mission of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc. (ULHR) is to enable African Americans and others to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.
The ULHR implements its mission by providing services and programs in education, employment, health, and housing to Hampton Roads communities through direct services, advocacy, research, policy analysis, community mobilization and collaboration throughout communities. An affiliate of the National Urban League, we also work closely with the Urban League of Hampton Roads Young Professionals and the Guild whose mission is to engage the community to serve as volunteers as part of the Urban League of Hampton Roads’ movement towards the achievement of social and economic equality.
FOUNDED IN 1978
Our History
The National Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement empowering African Americans and others to enter the economic and social mainstream. It celebrated 100 years in 2010. Headquartered in New York City, NUL spearheads the nonprofit, nonpartisan movement, while Urban League affiliates operate in more than 100 cities in 34 states and the District of Columbia. The Urban League of Hampton Roads Inc. affiliate, founded in 1978, implements its mission by providing services and programs in education, employment, health, and housing to Hampton Roads communities through direct services, advocacy, research, policy analysis, community mobilization, and collaboration throughout communities.
FOUNDED IN 1978
Our History
The National Urban League is the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement empowering African Americans and others to enter the economic and social mainstream. It celebrated 100 years in 2010. Headquartered in New York City, NUL spearheads the nonprofit, nonpartisan movement, while Urban League affiliates operate in more than 100 cities in 34 states and the District of Columbia. The Urban League of Hampton Roads Inc. affiliate, founded in 1978, implements its mission by providing services and programs in education, employment, health, and housing to Hampton Roads communities through direct services, advocacy, research, policy analysis, community mobilization, and collaboration throughout communities.
GILBERT T. BLAND | PRESIDENT & CEO
Gilbert T. Bland is the president and chairman of the Urban League of Hampton Roads. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Virginia Complete Count Commission for the 2020 Census. He is chairman of the Virginia African American Advisory Board and chairman of the Eastern Virginia Medical School Community Advisory Board, which was created to examine the past and present cultural environment of the medical school and recommend best practices.
Bland serves on the boards of Sentara Healthcare, Sentara Foundation, Randolph-Macon College, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, Elevate Early Education, Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. He serves as board chairman and president of Healthy Neighborhood Enterprises, a community development corporation.
Bland began his career as a commercial lending officer for the Continental Bank of Chicago and served as a vice president of commercial lending for the Independence Bank of Chicago. He has been an owner/operator of quick-service restaurants for more than 30 years, primarily as a franchisee of Burger King and Pizza Hut. In this capacity, he has owned, constructed and operated more than 70 restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., employing more than 2,000 team members annually.
He has served 10 years on the national board of directors of the Burger King National Franchise Association and was elected to five terms as the national president of the Burger King Minority Franchise Association. He is a charter board member of Burger King’s inclusion advisory committee. The Burger King Corp. has honored Bland with the James McLamore Founder’s Award for outstanding contributions as a franchisee and has endowed a scholarship in his name at James Madison University.
Mr. Bland has received an honorary degree from Longwood University. In 2021, Mr. Bland was inducted into the Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame and was recognized by Volunteer Hampton Roads to receive the region’s lifetime achievement award for volunteerism. For the past eight years, he has been chosen by Virginia Business Magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Virginians.
Staff
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Gilbert Bland
President & CEO
Danielle Berwick
Director of Events & Civic Engagement
HEALTH TEAM
GWENDOLYN MACK LINK
Early Intervention Supervisor
CHARLES WINSLOW
Early Intervention Specialist
Priscilla Smith
Non-Medical Case Coordinator
Dexter Davis
Early Intervention Specialist
KENDRA HABERSHAM
Medical Case Manager
JOSHUA HOLDER
Director of Health
HOUSING TEAM
ONEIDA JEFFERIES CARY
Director of Housing Programs
ANITA ELMORE
Housing Intake Specialist
EDUCATION TEAM
CHARLES HAYWOOD
Director of Education and
Youth Development
MASAI KOFA-WILSON
Manager of Education and
Youth Development Programs
JOHN STEAN
Assistant Director of Tutoring
and Mentoring Initiatives
FINANCIAL TEAM
FRANCINE HUMPHREY
Director of Financial Counseling Services
ANDRE COUNCIL
Financial Opportunity Coach
EMPLOYMENT TEAM
CANDICE BRYANT
Assistant Director, Employment and Corporate Partnerships
PATRICIA GIBSON
Director of Employment & Corporate Partnerships
INTERN TEAM
HANNAH GOLER
Norfolk State University
PARIS JACKSON
Old Dominion University
MeKayla Barmore
Norfolk State University
Board of Directors
Urban League of Hampton Roads’ Board of Directors and Staff are integral to helping drive our mission forward for assisting African-Americans and other minority groups in the achievement of social and economic equality.
Xavier Beale
Vice President, Human Resources and Trades Newport News Shipbuilding
Gilbert Bland
President & Chief Executive Officer
Urban League of Hampton Roads, Inc.
Tom Hasty, Board Chair
Senior Executive Vice President
TowneBank
Clyde Clark
Senior Vice President
Fulton Bank
Dr. Marcia Conston
President
Tidewater Community College
Mekbib Gemeda
Vice President, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Edward Hamm
President
E.L. Hamm & Associates
Bonita Billingsley Harris
Director, Media Relations, Dominion Energy
Gaylene Kanoyton
President
Gaylene Events, LLC
Kenneth Magee
Operations Manager
Virginia Natural Gas
Joyvan Malbon-Griffin
Lawyer
Minnesota Lawyers Mutual
Maxine McNair
Claims Supervisor GEICO
Toiya Sosa
Board Member to Associate Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer
Riverside Health System-Corporate Office
Bryan K. Stephens
President/CEO
Hampton Roads Chamber
Louisa Strayhorn
President & CEO
LSA Consulting, LLC
2022-2023 IMPACT REPORT
A Beacon of Hope and Change
Since its establishment in 1978, the Urban League of Hampton Roads has stood as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path towards equality and prosperity for under served communities of color. Our mission, deeply rooted in the principles of social justice and economic empowerment, is to bridge the racial wealth gap that has long cast a shadow over these communities. We strive to achieve this by providing comprehensive resources and steadfast support in critical areas such as education, employment, finance, health, and housing.
Our efforts are not just about providing services; they are about sparking change. We aim to dismantle the systemic barriers that perpetuate racial wealth disparities and replace them with structures that promote equity and inclusivity. We believe in the potential of every individual and are committed to ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to realize their dreams, irrespective of their racial or ethnic background.