National Urban League Announces New Appointments in Advocacy, Justice and Office of General Counsel
NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTIVES TO LEAD ADVOCACY, JUSTICE INITIATIVES, PARTNERSHIPS AND A NEW GENERAL COUNSEL
WASHINGTON, D.C. (February 23, 2021) -- National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial today announced six key new appointments, including Joi O. Chaney as Executive Director of the organization’s Washington Bureau and Senior Vice President for Policy and Advocacy, and Danielle Cooper Daughtry as General Counsel and Senior Vice President for Legal Affairs.
Additionally, Leslie Andrews was appointed Vice President of Partnerships and Advancement/Special Initiatives,Leigh Morgan Thorpe was named Vice President of Partnerships and Advancement/Corporate, Alexander Rias was named Senior Director for Equitable Justice, and Nonny Onyekweli was named Director for Criminal Justice in the Equitable Justice Division.
“Over the last year, the nation has undergone an historic transformation in its approach to racial justice and civil rights and the National Urban League has to meet the challenges of that transformation,” Morial said. “The addition of these nationally-renowned experts builds upon our record of effective leadership, advocacy and activism. I’m extremely proud to announce these additions to our team.”
Chaney is the founder of J.O.I. Strategies, which develops strategies for organizations and companies seeking to achieve Justice, Opportunity, and Inclusion for America's underserved communities. She relaunched the company last year following a stint as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
Previously, she served as Director of Equal Pay Today!, where she focused on strategies to close the long-standing gender and racial wage gap and engage new constituencies in the fight for equal pay. Over a twenty-year career, Joi has held senior roles in the Obama Administration the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee, and the American Constitution Society for Law & Policy.
A native of Orlando, Chaney is a graduate of Howard University and Harvard Law School.
Daughtry most recently was the Governance and External Affairs Officer and Secretary to the Board of Trustees for The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. Before joining Cooper Union, she was the Chief Counsel for the 2016 Democratic National Convention Committee. She spent more than a decade with the in-house legal department of MetLife Group, Inc., where she managed federal and state litigations around the nation and developed strategies for diversity, equality and inclusion as Co-Chair of the Diversity Committee.
Daughtry holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Spelman College and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center.
Andrews joins the National Urban League following a successful stint as the Chief Executive Officer of Daisy Ventures, LLC, a multi-faceted business that focused on nonprofit development and training, motivational speaking, and brand management. She previously served as Director of Community Relations and Corporate Partnerships for Rock Ventures LLC, parent company to Quicken Loans, and as Michigan Director for the United Negro College Fund. Andrews holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spelman College and a Master of Business Administration from Northcentral University.
Thorpe most recently held the position of Associate Vice President of Annual Giving and Membership for The National WWII Museum, where she oversaw a 165,000+ Member program, the Museum's Fundraising Events team, and its Memorial Brick program. Her previous experience includes the United Way of Southeast Louisiana, and Projects With Purpose, a community relations firm facilitating partnerships between companies and communities in need. She also served as the Sr. Community Relations Associate for Capital One Bank. She is a graduate of the Center for Nonprofit Resources' BoardsWork board training program and received a journalism degree from Loyola University New Orleans.
Rias was an Assistant District Attorney in the Trial Division of the New York County District Attorney’s Office. Previously, he served the New York City Council as Deputy Chief of Staff, Director of Legislation & Budget, and Executive Director of the Black, Latino, and Asian Caucus. He was a law clerk for the Honorable Marilyn D. Go of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of NY. Rias earned a B.A from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from SUNY at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, and a J.D. from Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.
Onyekweli is currently a litigation associate at Skadden, Arps in New York, focused on complex civil litigation, securities litigation, and class action litigation. She maintains an active pro bono practice focusing on civil rights, immigration, children's rights, family law, and racial justice. Before joining Skadden, she was a fellow at NYU School of Law's Policing Project and a member of the Cleveland Police Federal Monitoring Team working to implement the Federal Consent Decree between Cleveland and the U.S. Department of Justice. A writer who opines on issues surrounding race, intersectionality, and policing, she holds a B.A. from the University of Maryland and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.