Contact:
Khalilah Bates
Tel: 212-926-8000 ext. 122
kbates@nyul.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NEW YORK URBAN LEAGUE APPOINTS ARVA RICE AS PRESIDENT AND CEO
 NEW YORK, NY – April 6, 2009 –The New York Urban League (NYUL) Board of Directors today announced the appointment of Arva Rice as President & CEO and a director of the Board, effective April 13. Prior to her appointment, Ms. Rice served as Executive Director of Project Enterprise, an organization that provides business loans, technical assistance and peer support to New York City entrepreneurs who lack adequate access to business financing.
During her tenure the agency doubled board giving and its revolving loan fund, as well as developed an individual giving campaign, adding high impact funders such as Robin Hood, Tiger and eBay Foundations.
Ms. Rice has more than 15 years experience in the non-profit arena, and possesses extensive experience in collaboration building, strategic planning, fundraising and marketing. A graduate of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, she has also served as the founding Executive Director of Public Allies New York - a young adult leadership program dedicated to helping develop the next generation of non-profit leaders and Program Director of an Economic Literacy Initiative at Girls Incorporated, a national non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring girls to become strong, smart and bold.
Her accomplishments have not gone unnoticed as Ms. Rice is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, the most recent being the Women’s History Month Award from NYC Comptroller Bill Thompson’s office in March of this year. In February 2009, Ms. Rice received a Community/Civic Award from NV Magazine. She was also a recipient of The Network Journal’s “Forty Under 40” Award Winners in 2005.
In congratulating Ms. Rice on her appointment, NYUL Chairman Noel Hankin had high praises for her achievements, adding that when the search began for a CEO, the Board was looking for someone who could provide the leadership to execute its strategy and guide the development of key initiatives which include our financial literacy and employment services programs. “She is smart, accomplished and has a great deal of passion for New York City. Her previous work experience is impressive and her dedication and effectiveness has been recognized by many who have bestowed honors on her. We look forward to her leadership in helping to deliver our mission,” Hankin stated.
Ms. Rice commented: “I am delighted to be appointed as CEO of the New York Urban League. I am excited about the opportunities and very mindful of the challenges that exist for those operating in the not-for-profit sector given the current economic climate.”
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About The New York Urban League: (www.nyul.org)
The New York Urban League (NYUL) has a rich history and long legacy of service to New Yorkers. The NYUL was founded in 1919 by an inter-racial group of concerned New Yorkers in response to the difficulties faced by African Americans migrating from the agricultural and rural south, to the industrial, urban centers of the north. Today, the mission of the New York Urban League (NYUL) is to enable African Americans and other underserved communities to secure a first class education, economic self-reliance and equal respect of their civil rights through programs, services and advocacy. Some of their signature programs include the Frederick Douglass Awards Dinner, the Whitney M. Young Classic and the Champions of Diversity Breakfast. The New York Urban League, Inc. is one of the local affiliates of the National Urban League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan, multi-ethnic, social service organization celebrating its 90th anniversary this year.
Photo courtesy of NV Magazine
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