FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Lyndon Pryor
[email protected]
(502) 585-4622
N E W S R E L E A S E
The Louisville Urban League Is Growing Stronger
Louisville, KY, January 16, 2018—We are pleased to announce that Christina Shadle will be joining the Louisville Urban League team as Director of Investment, focused on the Sports & Learning Complex.
Impressive progress has been made in conceiving of this project in this location, raising nearly half of the funds needed in such a short amount of time, and creating community momentum behind this initiative that has rarely been seen in Louisville. The need now is to bring additional bandwidth, funds, and technical know-how to this project – all for the purpose of transforming the environment for residents directly affected by redlining and discrimination.
This commitment is institutionalized in the Louisville Urban League as we address injustice and inequity at a systemic and scalable level, in a way that acknowledges and responds not only to the data reported by organizations like the Greater Louisville Project and Center for Health Equity, but the known harm created by practices like redlining and discriminatory investment.
Christina Shadle is the right person for this role. In her most recent capacity at IQS Research, she was responsible for the design and execution of strategic research programs, often being positioned to present challenging results to local, national and international leaders. She honed her sales and client management skills, meaningfully contributing to the growth of IQS Research and its respected position in the community as a bearer of truthful and impact data.
Bilingual in English and Spanish, Shadle also brings significant experience with executive leadership negotiation, the creation of strategic and operational frameworks for a food and beverage economic cluster, and the forging of alliances between private and public partners. In a previous role, she launched and managed the region’s first Hispanic Latino Business Council, and for five years, voluntarily led a corporate supplier diversity initiative that institutionalized a process of tracking purchasing, growing expenditures with M/WBE companies by 50%. Prior to this economic development work, she served as a bilingual community organizer in Louisville and in Miami, FL.
Beyond her full-time work at IQS, Christina is a partner in the well-regarded Mayan Café. Strongly committed to the concept of farm-to-table dining, she pointed her partners – Chef and husband, Bruce Ucan, and General Manager and sister, Anne Shadle – in this direction years before it gained widespread popularity. Christina and Bruce have two young daughters.
In all of her roles, she has demonstrated the ability to increase revenue, connecting the self-interest of her clients and audience with the products and organizations she is representing.
Sadiqa Reynolds, CEO of the Louisville Urban League, said “the Urban League team is strong, and it just got stronger. Christina brings a combination of national best practices in community organizing, economic development and world class data analytics. She leaves IQS with much earned respect from many of our region’s top business leaders. It is also worth noting, that while I have had people reach out to say they want to work with me, I have never had anyone who came with their own funding! This is a no-brainer.”
Says Shadle, “I have been committed to systemic community change, and this role allows me to align with people who have the capacity, integrity and intellect to change Louisville. I believe I have a solid reputation in this city and many options as to how to spend my professional time, and this position allows me to best align my strengths and passion. I am excited to work alongside a leader in Sadiqa Reynolds who is smart, strong and boldly committed to making the community better – Not just the Urban League, but the community.”
When asked about the duo of Reynolds and Shadle, Ted Nixon, CEO of D.D. Williamson said, “they are both committed to community, both smart and both willing to run through a brick wall for what they believe.”
Shawn Herbig, President of IQS Research shared, “It’s always tough to lose strong talent, but Christina has had a passion for the community and West Louisville in particular, since arriving into town 15 years ago. This is a great opportunity for her to apply those talents to an important initiative. Our team at IQS Research will miss her, but we know she will do great.”
Shadle will begin her work with the League on February 4, 2019.
About the Louisville Urban League
The Louisville Urban League assists African Americans and those at the margins in attaining social and economic equality and stability through direct services and advocacy. For more information, go to www.lul.org or follow us on Facebook , Twitter (@louisvilleUL), or Instagram (@louisville_ul).
