From October 16-19, Louisville Urban League (LUL) staff members attended the Whitney M Young Jr. Urban Leadership Development Conference in Brooklyn, New York. The conference is an annual leadership immersion event for the leaders of the National Urban League (NUL) affiliate movement, bringing together the brightest minds and dedicated hearts to expand expertise, build community, and share learnings for a stronger, more effective Urban League
movement.

During the event, NUL recognized two Louisville Urban League (LUL) staff members for their outstanding leadership and productivity. Nichole Leachman, Director of the Center for Housing & Financial Empowerment, received the Outstanding Service and Dedication Award. The Louisville Urban
League has been a HUD-certified housing counseling agency for over 50 years. It continues to do a remarkable job helping families reach new levels of economic and housing stability. This is Leachman’s second time receiving this award since she began working for LUL in 2016.

Cynthia Brown, Director of Black Business Initiatives at LUL, received the Entrepreneurship Center Up and Coming Award. Since 2020, Cynthia has led the League’s entrepreneurship and business development efforts, constructing an ecosystem of partners across the city to help start, sustain, and grow Black businesses of all types. The entrepreneurship work has been a focal point of the Path Forward for Louisville work the League has spearheaded across the city.

“This is extremely exciting news,” said Lyndon Pryor, Interim President and CEO of LUL. “And it comes only a few months after we were awarded another federal grant through the NUL, and received another clean finding from our annual comprehensive audit. I am so proud of our staff, our effective fiscal and programmatic management, and our lasting impact on the Louisville community.”

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 lul.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter  (@louisvilleUL), or Instagram (@louisville_ul).