It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the untimely passing of Greater Baltimore Urban League's (GBUL) Guild President, Madam Kim Glover-Spencer on Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Graduating Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts: Early Childhood Education from Coppin State University, she retired as an educator after 32 years of service. Mrs. Glover-Spencer possessed excellent communication and leadership skills, networking with teachers, parents, school and district administration and community organizations to advance teaching practices and the development of 21st Century skills. She has conducted staff development and trained teachers in the Baltimore City Public School System Systemic Gifted and Talented School Wide Enrichment Program. To enhance the quality of education, she collaborated with agencies such as CHAI, Irvine Nature Center and Parks and People, and developed and scribed grants to fund activities, projects and instructional programs at Cross Country Elementary-Middle School. 

Elected as the President of the Greater Baltimore Urban League's Guild in 2019, she had the amazing propensity to more than double the Guild's membership, year after year. Mrs. Spencer recruited and joined nine of her immediate and extended family and friends as new members. She served on the fundraising committee and the Executive Board of Directors for GBUL for the past four years as secretary. She was unambiguously selected by the president to aid her in many internal and external projects including the second phase of assessments, selections and the interviewing of potential executive administrative employees of GBUL. Given Mrs. Glover-Spencer's keen wisdom, empathy, character, and experience, GBUL's President and CEO bade for her support as one of her personal advisors. 

In addition to serving on the BOD and as President of the Guild, she was the co-lead in securing a $300k state funded bond bill to support the preservation of the historic Orchard Street Church (OSC) build by free and enslaved Black people. She organized and chaired the Save Orchard Street (SOS) committee which focuses on raising funds for renovation, repairs and the preservation of the historic Orchard Street Church. Mrs. Glover-Spencer continued to utilize her communication and leadership skills to enhance the programmatic needs and significantly enhance the lives of our participants and everyone she'd serve. During her tenure as an educator and in her later years as president, she collaborated with public and private agencies to provide health related and educational events to the community on behalf of the Urban League and was recognized receiving many honorable awards: 
 

• Recognized by Govans’ Elementary School as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year.
  
• Recognized by Cross Country E/M School as the Outstanding Teacher of the Year in 2005.
  
• Created a Gifted and Talented After School program at Cross Country for students who were identified as above average learners. 
  
• Implemented a Green Space Environment Club that led to Cross Country School Certification as a Maryland Green School. 
  
• Who's Who Among American Teachers 2005-2006. 
  
• Honored as a Teacher of the Year Finalist by Chesapeake Bay Trust in 2007. Trained Staff of Cross Country in the BCPSS Systemic Gifted and Talented Education Program and served as the Program Manager. 
  
• Awarded for Outstanding Service to the BCPSS Systemic Gifted and Talented Education Program in 2006. 
  
• Honored by Maryland State Department of Education for Outstanding contributions and leadership in Gifted and Talented Education for the 2007/2008 school year.
  
• An Honoree for Greater Baltimore Urban League’s 2020 Whitney M. Young Annual Gala.
  
  Mrs. Glover-Spencer was an active member of Micah Mission AME Church. 
  
  "Mrs. Kim" as she was affectionately called, loved teaching, learning about Black History and had a Juneteenth celebration with her family every year. She loved gardening and plants. 
  
  LOVED by so many, she leaves to cherish her husband Karl Spencer, daughters Kiobie and Natalie, son William and very special grandchildren so dear to her heart, Malachi and Bailey, her sister and best friend Mrs. Denise Harper and Mr. Barnett Harper, cousin Esther Oliver and dear friend of 30 years Mrs. Charlene Graham, all of whom have become acting officers and members of GBUL's Guild Auxiliary, and wealth of family and friends throughout GBUL. She was fondly loved and adored by the entire Movement family. There is not a soul that met her who did not love Madam Spencer. 
  
  
  
  Sorrowfully Submitted, 
  
  Tiffany Majors, President and CEO 
  Ricky D. Smith, Chairman 
  Stacia Mobley, Vice President Guild 
  Greater Baltimore Urban League's Board of Directors, Guild and Young Professionals
  
  In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. John 14:2
  
  But now I will heal and mend them. I will make them whole and bless them with an abundance of peace and security. Jeremiah 33:6 ​
  

It is with great pleasure that we announce the selection and appointment of Greater Baltimore Urban League's new Chairman of the Board of Directors, 2021.
 
Our Board of Directors and Friend's of the League will receive our new chair in a small reception held in July (tba).  We thank you in advance for welcoming our new Chairman, Mr. Ricky D. Smith~ Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Baltimore/ Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. 
 
We'd like to  "Humbly" Thank our current Interim Chairman, Mr. Gavin Watson who has served at great lengths for the past 11 years in any capacity requested.  Gavin will remain as our Vice Chair until he retires from our Board of Directors. 

​"The Urban League has been a source of inspiration for me since childhood. It is one of my greatest honors to serve an organization that I have revered for so long while serving the community most dear to my heart. I am humbled and inspired to serve as the new chair of the Greater Baltimore Urban League and hope to meet the leadership expectations of the board, Tiffany Majors and her team, and most importantly, the public that this great organization serves."

​Ricky Dorell Smith has been serving as the Executive Director/CEO of the  Maryland Aviation Administration (MAA) since July 10, 2015. Ricky is  responsible for the management and operations of Baltimore/Washington  International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI Marshall), Martin State  Airport, and regional aviation activities throughout the State of Maryland. 
Ricky is an over 30-year aviation and transportation professional. He  returned to Maryland after serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland  Airport System, which includes Cleveland Hopkins International Airport and  Burke Lakefront Airport. In addition, he was responsible for overseeing the  development and management of the City’s lakefront properties. 

Since returning to BWI Marshall, Mr. Smith has led the airport to five (5)  consecutive record-setting years for passengers including restoring BWI  Marshall as the busiest airport in the Washington-Baltimore region and being  recognized as the Airport Council International’s Best Airport in North  America for customer service. Establishing a culture of performance,  customer service, safety, and innovation, the airports have received several  national and regional awards for customer service, capital development, and  marketing including two Emmy Awards. Overseeing major facilities expansions of the airports, enhanced the terminal concessions program, and expanded domestic air service. In 2017, the LaunchPad program was started to enable minority-owned micro-businesses the opportunity to participate in BWI Marshall's thriving food and retail program without barriers to entry. In 2015, he launched the BWI Marshall Summer Youth Initiative aimed at introducing youth in Baltimore City to careers in aviation and transportation. 

To date, over 100 youth have participated in this program. These efforts led to BWI Marshall recently receiving the Airports Council International-North America Diversity Inclusion Award for Large Hub Airports. 
Prior to his service in Cleveland, Mr. Smith served as the Chief Operating Officer for the MAA, where he  helped lead BWI Marshall Airport through a $2 billion expansion program, increased air service  throughout the world, and the creation of a new food and retail program. Prior to returning to the MAA, after a two-year departure, Ricky served as the Deputy Administrator for the Maryland State Highway  Administration. In addition, he served in the private sector for several years with International Business  Machines, H&R Block Business Services, The May Company, and others.  
Ricky holds an Accounting degree from Howard University and an Executive MBA from Loyola  University in Maryland. He is a graduate of several leadership programs, including the Greater  Baltimore Committee and Leadership Cleveland. He is active on several national and local boards and  industry associations including the Airport Minority Advisory Council, American Association of Airport  Executives, the Washington Board of Trade, the BWI Business Partnership, World Trade Center  Institute, Greater Baltimore Urban League, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African  American History & Culture, and the Morgan State University School of Communications Board of  Advisors.
He has been recognized as the Leon C. Watkins Guardian Award recipient by Airports Council  International/ North America (2020), ‘The Honorable Ray LaHood Man of the Year’ by Women  Transportation Seminar (2019), ‘Power 10 CEO’ by the Baltimore Business Journal (2018), ‘People Who  Move America’ by the Boys Scouts of America (2018), ‘Thomas G. Newsome Founder’s Leadership  Award’ by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (2018), ‘Influential Marylander’ by The  Daily Record (2017), the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association ‘Black History Hero’  award (2017), ‘Most Influential CEO in Northeast Ohio’ by Crain’s Magazine (2014, 2013), ‘National  Executive of the Year’ by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (2010), and ‘Congressional  Achievement Award’ from Congressman Elijah Cummings (2006).

Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) is honored to announce our legendary innovative pilot, "Returning Citizen Work-Ready Employment Program (RCE)" in partnership with TRUIST Bank.
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Our mission is to enable African Americans and other minorities to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights. Founded in Baltimore in 1924, GBUL is an affiliate of the National Urban League, which was founded in 1910. Our three-pronged approach for pursuing the mission is: 

• Ensuring that our children are well-educated and equipped for economic self-reliance;
• Helping adults attain economic self-sufficiency through good sustainable jobs, home ownership, entrepreneurship and wealth accumulation; 
• Ensuring our civil rights by eradicating all barriers to equal participation in the economic and social mainstream of America.

In recent years, evidence-based criminal justice practices have demonstrated promising strategies for connecting hard-to-employ people to work, particularly among recently released prisoners. With mounting research, it is clear there are significant benefits for our communities in working with this population. Evidence shows that successful reintegration into the workforce can make neighborhoods and families safer and more stable. In its 2012 report, the U.S. Department of Education reported extensively that supporting education and career advancement training for low-skill individuals in corrections is a critical factor towards successful community re-entry programs. 

Through our RCE, GBUL is committed to ensuring safe and successful transition from incarceration to the community since we firmly believe that despite being challenging and complex, re-entry is more than staying out of jail or prison, in that it involves reuniting families, eliminating barriers to employment by providing essential skills, and facilitating the support of locating stable housing. ​

​Last week our President completed a Fellowship Certificate program in Nonprofit Leadership at Boston College through Wells Fargo. She participated in three competitions with 18 other participants and placed 2nd in all three, earning an additional financial reward for the agency. 

Congratulations on your graduation and winnings for GBUL!