Eric Brown
President & CEO, Urban League of Western Michigan
Eric D. Brown is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of West Michigan, formerly the Grand Rapids Urban League. Celebrating his first year at the helm and celebrating the organization’s 80th anniversary year, he leads Michigan’s second largest affiliate of the National Urban League, distinguished as one of the Best in the Midwest, since October 2021.
A visionary leader, non-profit administrator, and fierce advocate for racial justice, Eric is no stranger to the Urban League movement. Regarded as one of the “brightest college interns” the agency had the privilege to mentor, Brown is fondly remembered for his drive to succeed and his keen business sense and an entrepreneurial mindset. As the city’s oldest and largest community based movement devoted to economic empowerment for Blacks/African Americans, Brown serves as the eighth president of the historic civil rights organization, eight— representing the number of new beginnings, with his trajectory for new beginnings having taken off like a rocket. With a multidisciplinary business and operations approach, he brings a history of strong, steady, and stable leadership to his new role along with more than 15 years of experience working with diverse institutions. He assumes the helm at a time when not only our city, but the nation as a whole commits to addressing institutional racism, economic, academic, and health disparities, and issues of social and economic justice. His laser focus on improving the quality of life for individuals and families-of-color throughout West Michigan are exactly what the Urban League needs as it enters its eighth decade of service.
Coming into the Urban League, Brown brings his track record of leadership skills, operational, nonprofit and corporate expertise. He previously served as the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Real Estate for LINC UP, a non-profit housing corporation; Senior Director of Business Strategies for the Heart of West Michigan United Way; and served as the first President of the West Michigan Minority Contractors Association. In addition, he worked for a number of CPA and for-profit firms in Controller and Senior Accountant positions. A proud and successful graduate of Grand Rapids Public Schools, Eric obtained his undergraduate degree from HBCU Southern University in Louisiana, where he majored in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting and also played college football. He returned home to obtain his MBA in Management from Western Michigan University and also served as a football coach to then Creston High School and also as an AAU basketball coach, in his spare time.
Eric’s driving passions are for access and equity, racial justice and economic empowerment and espouses to his own Five E’s of Success: Enthusiasm, bring the right attitude/right mindset; Effort, bring the good energy and give your best 100%; Execution, make a plan and know exactly what you want; Excellence, set the bar high and always over deliver; and Evolve, believe in yourself, believe in your plan, work continuously to make it happen.
Married to his lovely wife, Maleika Joubert Brown for over 25 years, they have three adult children and two very spoiled dogs.