The Akron Urban League announced John Williams as its new president and chief executive officer.

Williams succeeds Teresa LeGrair, who officially retired in March but continued to lead the agency. LeGrair will work to facilitate a smooth transition with Williams, according to a press release from the Urban League.

Teresa LeGrair.
Teresa LeGrair. (Photo courtesy of Garrick Black)

Williams was the president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Michigan. Before that, he was the deputy executive director of Alpha Phi Alpha Homes, Incorporated. Williams will start in his new role at the beginning of September.

“I am grateful to return to Summit County and the City of Akron to lead The Akron Urban League,” Williams said. “The Urban League is a community staple, crafting programs to support our citizens’ economic and educational opportunities and the city’s economy.”

Board Chair Jolene A. Lane said Williams “has a vast amount of leadership experience in the nonprofit and corporate sectors with specific expertise in fundraising, strategic management and relationship-building.”

She also praised Williams’ “active involvement serving on various boards and committees to improve the quality of life in greater Akron and Summit County,” saying the board is “confident John will be an excellent leader.”

The Akron Urban League’s mission is to “improve the quality of life of the citizens of Summit County, particularly African Americans, by advocating and facilitating programs that are economically and educationally transformational, impacting their lives and the lives of future generations.

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.