By D. Kevin McNeir
Special to The AFRO
The Board of Directors of the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) recently appointed Dr. Faith Gibson Hubbard as interim president and CEO. Hubbard replaces George Lambert, who retired earlier this year after 10 years of stellar service to the organization.
Under Lambert’s tenure, GWUL expanded education and empowerment programs, increased the impact of its workforce development initiatives, and broadened its role as a flagship organization in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia area.
Hubbard said she’s ready to get started and hopes to carry forward the legacy which Lambert leaves behind.
“He was a phenomenal leader for this affiliate which grew under his tenure,” she said. “And remember, he had a significant role as part of Urban League movements with two other affiliates before taking over here in the District. My job is to continue our growth, increase our budget so we can offer more services, and to do more in the areas of policy and advocacy.”
In a statement, the Reverend Dr. Kendrick Curry, Board of Directors chair for GWUL, said Gibson Hubbard represents the kind of leadership that will move the organization toward even greater success.
“Dr. Gibson Hubbard is a trusted leader with deep relationships throughout the District and a strong commitment to advancing opportunity and economic development,” he said. “Her experience across government, policy, and community leadership, combined with her values-driven approach, make her exceptionally well positioned to guide the organization during this important transition.”
While the Board of Directors conducts a nationwide search for GWUL’s permanent president and CEO, Dr. Gibson Hubbard will continue to build on the organization’s highly regarded foundation while advancing its mission to empower communities and change lives.
And for the record, Dr. Gibson Hubbard, who currently serves as principal and CEO of FGH Strategies, a Black woman-owned consulting firm, is more than qualified.
With more than two decades of experience in advancing equity, strengthening community institutions, and building partnerships across government, education, philanthropy, and the nonprofit sector, she has also secured deep roots in Washington, D.C.
She said she’s been strongly influenced and mentored by two women, both well known within the region: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and former GWUL president and CEO, the late Maudine Cooper. Cooper led GWUL for more than two decades, retiring in November 2013. She died later that year in December.
“I learned a lot during my tenure as the director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs,” Dr. Gibson Hubbard said. “But it was Maudine Cooper who was my mentor from afar. Her leadership was a great motivation for me and illustrated how women have often been standouts as the leaders of organizations while maintaining their empathy for others.
“I am a wife and a mother, and as a woman, we routinely mother our communities. Gender can seem like a challenge, but I see it as a great opportunity because we bring a different set of perspectives to the workplace,” Gibson Hubbard continued. “My family benefited from the services provided by GWUL, both when we needed community support and when we bought our first home. Now, I want to pay it forward to youth and families throughout the Greater Washington Area.”
