Spotlight On: Robyn Hamilton, President & CEO, Urban League of Central Carolinas
October 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Robyn Hamilton, president and CEO of Urban League of Central Carolinas, shared why they are tailoring their healthcare initiatives for Black and brown populations, how they have been aligning training programs with market demands, and underscored the need to invest in long-term community transformation.
What have been some of the most significant milestones and achievements for the Urban League of Central Carolinas over the last 12 to 18 months?
The last 12 to 18 months have been incredibly busy for us. We have had a lot going on, and seen significant growth. One of the moments that made me realize just how many opportunities are ahead of us was when we secured a $900,000 grant from the U.S.Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA). This grant was awarded to us to perform in Asheville, North Carolina, and it marked a milestone because it showed that we are truly fulfilling the name “Central Carolinas,” expanding beyond just Charlotte. Good work leads to more good work.
Another significant milestone was our expanding contracts with Mecklenburg County, City of Charlotte and the State of North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services. We exceeded our goals on these contracts. For instance, over the past 12 months, we brought 162 people into our training programs, and over 81% placed in quality jobs. This was unprecedented and our team performed outstanding. We are not just a training program. We are making transformations in people’s lives. We are training and placing people in quality employment and careers that can dramatically improve their trajectory.
Finally, we expanded our training to the East side of Charlotte. We tripled our space and increased the hours of operations to allow for more students. In 2023 we had a waiting list of over 300 people awaiting an opportunity for a seat in one of our courses. The expansion allowed us to provide additional seats and opportunities to 162 students.
What roles do collaborations and partnerships play in securing these quality jobs and workforce development?
One of our greatest partners is Charlotte Works. We do not want to conduct training just because we can, rather we want to meet a market demand. The data from Charlotte Works allows us to be intentional about aligning our training programs with the needs of the market. For example, Trane Technologies, a leader in HVAC manufacturing, is one of our key partners. When we think about HVAC, it is not just about heating and cooling — it is about sustainability. Companies are increasingly focused on managing energy costs, and the HVAC industry plays a huge role in that.
We are producing an army of workers ready to engage in this industry in various capacities. Being intentional about workforce development means looking at emerging needs, like electrical and healthcare workforce. When I became CEO, I introduced an electrical program because we anticipate a significant demand in this area, especially with the growth of electric vehicles and clean energy. We want to ensure we have the infrastructure to meet the market needs for this type of talent.
Our CNA program is another critical area. Nursing is an essential field, and we see ourselves as the entry point for people interested in healthcare. The Urban League plays a crucial role in cultivating and advancing talent in this space, which ultimately will impact our nursing shortage. We are ground zero for developing the workforce needed to support quality healthcare in our community.
How has the Urban League adapted its healthcare initiatives in recent years, especially in light of the ongoing need for accessible and quality healthcare?
The Urban League has several pillars: education, health, housing, policy, and advocacy. I tell people that we cannot be the best at every single pillar, but we should focus on what we do well and excel at that. Healthcare became a significant focus for us during the pandemic. We made sure that immunizations and vaccinations were happening and the information was getting to the community of the importance of following Center for Disease Control practices. Now, we are focusing on Black maternal health, particularly on the alarming rates of maternal and infant mortality among African-American women.
We have a great partner in Care Ring and have aligned with the work lead by Tchernavia Montgomery is doing in Black maternal health. Additionally, we continue to work with the CDC to ensure vaccinations are still happening, especially since COVID is on the rise again. We have not stopped that work because we are concerned that if we do, we will face different, perhaps worse, outcomes.
Furthermore, access to testing is still a significant issue. We are now trying to figure out how to navigate the fact that free tests and vaccinations are no longer available. We are doing everything we can to find resources and options and get that information out to the community. The conversation has shifted because those resources are not as readily available as they were last year or two years ago.
What are some of the key challenges in the housing arena and the initiatives you have in place to support them?
Homeownership remains the primary way for American families to build lasting wealth that they can pass onto future generations. The appraisal valuation process plays a determinative role in whether American families can refinance their home to access the equity they need to send their children to college, to start a business, make home improvements, or transition out of an Adjustable-Rate Mortgage. Longstanding patterns of racial bias have been allowed to take root in the appraisal industry, exacerbating our nation’s already staggering levels of inequality, and further widening the wealth gap between white and black communities. We realized one factor was that less than 10% of the industry appraisers were diverse.
In response, the National Urban League launched an appraiser initiative, where we compensate existing certified appraisers for their time mentoring diverse trainees. We are working to ensure that appraisers understand neighborhoods and dynamics and that we have fair, balanced appraisals moving forward. The initiative has been successful aligning trainees with appraisers and helping trainees acquire hours and experience toward their certification.
As we look toward the future, what are your strategic priorities for the Urban League of Central Carolinas over the next few years?
We are positioning ourselves to attract substantial investments that we can funnel to other organizations, supporting them in their work while also continuing our initiatives. Our focus is on being a strong candidate for large investments in the Charlotte region. We have already seen almost $2 million dollars in the past year that was not in Charlotte, that is now part of our portfolio as a result of our pursuit of financial resources to support Charlotte’s needs.
We are looking at opportunities to expand our programming to the South side of Charlotte where we facilitate an Alternative to Violence Program. It is important to offer programs in communities for individuals most affected by gun violence in order to address the root cause such as under or unemployment, rather than relying on punitive measures that ultimately exacerbate community safety issues.
Lastly, I want to communicate and emphasize that Charlotte has an “institution” in the Urban League that other cities throughout the U.S. are leveraging to do essential, sustainable work. We need to move away from episodic initiatives when a tragedy occurs and focus on long-term investments in the community. Transforming communities is a long-term commitment. It is about building a strong ecosystem of organizations that are positioned to lead initiatives that are envisioned by community leaders. Our Urban League is the right partner, right vehicle and right institution positioned for consistent, long-term impact rather than just short-term solutions.
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