J. Howard Henderson

J. Howard Henderson, President & CEO of the Greater Baltimore Urban League, has a successful history of dedicated service to his community and the nation. He has spent his adult life working to improve the living and working conditions of African Americans, other minorities, the underprivileged and the underserved. Since October 2000, Mr. Henderson has exemplified his tireless work ethic at the Greater Baltimore Urban League where he has worked to rebuild and restore the League’s image and effectiveness.

Prior to his Urban League appointment, Mr. Henderson demonstrated his commitment to human rights and civil rights in other employment venues. From 1980 to 1993, he served the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in executive and management positions at the NAACP National Office in New York and Baltimore. During his tenure at the NAACP, he served as a principal advisor to Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks, Chief Executive Officer, and as Director of National Programs. Dr. Hooks designated Mr. Henderson to organize, develop and implement the Division of Administration and Finance at the National Office.

Mr. Henderson was designated on both occasions to lead the NAACP in Miami during 1980 and Los Angeles during 1992 in response to the turmoil. He organized the local communities and the local NAACP branches in the affected areas to participate and assist in rebuilding the communities, and he developed and implemented protocols for administering the conflict resolution process in those communities.

Before joining the national executive leadership team of the NAACP, Mr. Henderson was appointed by Gov. John D. Rockefeller, IV to serve as Director of the West Virginia State Employment and Training Division, Governor’s Office of Economic and Community Development. He oversaw a $95.5 million budget for job training and job development.

Mr. Henderson serves on various boards and committees in his field and is recognized nationally for his expertise in the areas of human and civil rights. During the past 40 years, he has been involved in many of the major civil rights issues, including affirmative action, economic parity, political empowerment, fair housing, and education.