As President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, I am dedicated to advancing economic equity, social justice, and opportunity for underrepresented communities. With over 20 years of executive leadership experience, I have a proven track record of transforming organizations through strategic vision, operational excellence, and community empowerment. Throughout my career, I have built and scaled this organization by focusing on strategic growth, fund development, and cultivating corporate and community partnerships that align with both business goals and mission-driven impact. I am passionate about leading teams to deliver measurable outcomes while fostering a culture of inclusion, belonging, and accountability. In my tenure, I’ve led comprehensive fund development strategies, securing multi-million-dollar investments from public, private, and philanthropic sectors. I am adept at building high-performing teams, cultivating talent, and driving organizational growth through data-driven insights, operational efficiency, and a commitment to excellence in service delivery. I pride myself on fostering environments that champion diversity, equity, and inclusion while maintaining a focus on community advocacy, economic mobility, and education access. By leveraging deep relationships across sectors, I’ve positioned the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle as a critical voice in policy advocacy and grassroots organizing, ensuring that our work resonates both locally and nationally. Beyond my professional role, I am an engaged community servant, serving on the boards of several organizations including the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, United Way of King County, Alliance for Education, KUOW, and the Downtown Seattle Association, all of which align with my commitment to social impact and regional progress. I’m also a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., contributing to the ongoing work of empowering women of color and creating lasting change in our communities. Specialties: Executive leadership, strategic planning, fund development, organizational transformation, diversity and inclusion, policy advocacy, team building, corporate partnerships, and nonprofit operations.
Their story
Take your opportunity to dream, explore and try things out
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Key quotes
“Find something that you're passionate about. And the old saying is, do something you're willing to do for free. And I literally did that, and it turned into a career.”
Michelle Meriwether, President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
“You don't have to have it all figured out right now. You have the opportunity to dream, to explore, to ask questions, to try a career. And if it doesn't work, that's okay.”
Michelle Meriwether, President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
“My job is twofold. One, to develop new leaders and two, to ensure that I'm the voice of those that we serve in the community.”
Michelle Meriwether, President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
“I was usually the youngest and the only Black person. And so I think there was certainly some bias — but I was certainly overlooked quite often or ignored.”
Michelle Meriwether, President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
“The hardest part is not being able to do enough. There's still people suffering, there's still people homeless, there's still young people being incarcerated. Everything that we are doing — we're still not there yet.”
Michelle Meriwether, President & CEO, Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle
Career highlights
You don't have to have it all figured out — explore freely when you're young.
Michelle held multiple corporate jobs across different cities before finding her true calling in nonprofit leadership. She encourages students not to stress about having a perfect plan straight out of college.
Volunteering can literally become your career — start doing the work before you're paid for it.
Michelle began as a volunteer at the Urban League in 2005, worked on fundraisers and grants, joined the board, and eventually became CEO in 2018. She says she was willing to do the work for free, and it turned into her livelihood.
Never burn a bridge — you may need to walk back across it.
After leaving Coca-Cola for a role at the American Heart Association, Michelle returned to Coca-Cola when she needed work again. She credits maintaining good relationships with giving her options when circumstances changed.
An HBCU or community can give you an education that no textbook can.
Michelle attended Xavier University of Louisiana and credits both her formal business education and the informal learning she got through volunteering, mentorship, and community involvement as equally important to her success.
Corporate skills like sales and marketing transfer directly into mission-driven work.
Michelle's years in sales at Coca-Cola and Heinz gave her the relationship-building and persuasion skills she now uses every day to fundraise and advocate for the Urban League — she says fundraising is essentially sales and marketing.
Being overlooked or ignored doesn't mean you stop — keep building relationships and stay visible.
Michelle describes being the youngest and often the only Black person at her corporate jobs, and experiencing unconscious bias that cost her promotions. Rather than being defeated, she kept moving and eventually found spaces where her leadership was valued and celebrated.