Media contact:
Wade Harrison
Chair, Urban League Board of Directors
Email: wharrison@gklaw.com
Phone: (608) 358-7560
(Madison, Wis.) – Today, the Board of Directors of the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM) announced that Kaleem Caire will be stepping down as president and CEO of the ULGM to pursue other opportunities (letter follows). He has agreed to stay on until March 31st while ULGM engages in a search for its next CEO, and will serve as an ad-hoc member of the search committee during the transition.
The Board hired Kaleem four years ago, when he promised that he would work tirelessly to put the Urban League in a position to lift many more children and families out of poverty, and help position Dane County as a community that would become the best place for everyone to live, learn and work in the Midwest. “Kaleem has not only kept his promise,” said Wade Harrison, Board Chairman, “he has been an inspiring leader for all of Madison and has been the tip of the spear in our region’s efforts to address racial inequality in its many forms, particularly in education and employment.”
“I have decided that now is the right time to move on,” said Caire. “We have accomplished many of the goals we set out to achieve when I became the leader of the Urban League, with the exception of our unsuccessful pursuit of the Madison Prep Charter School. I have done my very best to hear and address the needs of disadvantaged, underrepresented children and families in our community. We have worked hard to create greater educational and employment opportunities for all. We have challenged the status quo that has held so many back. But now is the time to pass the baton to a new pace setter for the Urban League. And it’s time for me to focus on new opportunities, completion of my MBA and my family.”
Under Caire’s leadership, he has strengthened the organization’s Board of Directors, diversified its resource-base, grown its fundraising potential, and cultivated a cadre of new leaders and young professionals who are well-positioned to have a positive impact on Greater Madison’s future. In four years, the Urban League grew from serving 183 adults in 2009 to 1,731 in 2013.
“Our Board and supporters thank Kaleem, his wife Lisa, and their children for their work and sacrifice. They have truly made Madison a better place for everyone and we look forward to continuing our partnership with them in new ways in the future,” said Harrison.
