Tacoma Urban League Chief Executive Officer Vacancy
Lifting as she climbs: Tacoma Urban League President and CEO T’wina Nobles will move on to State Senate, but not before assisting with the transition
TACOMA, Wa. – The Tacoma Urban League board of directors announced Monday that T’wina Nobles, the organization’s president and CEO is moving on from her position as she joins the State Senate, but will stay on throughout the leadership transition.
“We have appreciated T’wina’s leadership,” Tacoma Urban League board chair LaTasha Wortham said. “We couldn’t be more proud of her. It’s amazing what she’s done for our organization and the community, and it’s amazing what she’s going to be doing for the entire state as Washington’s only Black Senator.”
The search for a new president and CEO will begin immediately with Nobles helping to lead the search and transition. The board of directors hopes to have the new president and CEO in place by mid-March.
“I will always be an Urban Leaguer,” Nobles said. “Across the country, at all Urban Leagues, we say, ‘Once an Urban Leaguer, always an Urban Leaguer.’ I think that part is important. Nothing about a new job or transitions will get in the way of me being an Urban Leaguer and a major supporter.”
Nobles was elected to the State Senate out of the 28th Legislative District in November, so she will be taking the responsibility of advocating on behalf of Tacoma’s Black community and the Tacoma Urban League to the state level.
As the Tacoma Urban League begins the process of looking for its next leader, the organization wants to ensure it hires someone with local roots, someone who understands the community’s needs.
“As we look for our next leader, it needs to be someone who understands the community, knows when to take appropriate risks and wants to do good work, while looking for innovation,” Senator-elect Nobles said.
During Nobles’ tenure as president and CEO, she took an intentional approach to understand the Tacoma Urban League’s legacy, while implementing a future-focused approach to encourage innovation. She empowered the community and she helped reestablish the legacy of the organization in a way that paid tribute to the foundation laid by Harold Moss and Thomas Dixon (who served as president and CEO for 43 years).
Nobles took the job in 2017, and in 2019, the Tacoma Urban League received the Most Improved Affiliate Award by the National Urban League. She orchestrated the State of Black Tacoma event in 2019, launched the Black Empowerment Center and worked on the Black Business Directory. She has been instrumental in the work of the Black Future Co-Op Fund and established the T'wina Nobles Young Professionals Scholarship.
The growth Nobles started will continue as the organization moves forward.
The Tacoma Urban League has a history of cultivating leaders who go on to do big things and Nobles is the latest example. The board of directors’ expectation is the next president and CEO will follow in Nobles’ footsteps.
“We need someone to hop on board and keep the train moving in the right direction,” Wortham said.