Four months after the National Urban League placed its Baltimore affiliate on probation, the Greater Baltimore Urban League (GBUL) turned its board over to a finance executive who has spent two decades running budgets for city agencies, housing organizations and economic development corporations. Kevin Seawright was named chair of the GBUL Board of Directors in December 2025. Less than three months later, the national organization confirmed it had lifted the probation and credited him by name.
Founded in 1924, GBUL runs programs in workforce development, entrepreneurship, youth leadership and civic engagement across Greater Baltimore and the rest of Maryland.
A Probation Notice Lists 11 Violations
Herman L. Lessard Jr., the National Urban League’s senior vice president of affiliate services, sent the probation letter on Aug. 15, 2025. It listed 11 violations, according to the AFRO, the Baltimore newspaper founded in 1892 that is the longest-running Black family-owned newspaper in the country. Most involved the board itself. Members had failed to meet regularly and had not rotated board seats or organizational leadership. Financial instability had also left the group out of compliance with Maryland law governing nonprofits.
Several board members resigned after August. Ricky Smith, the outgoing chair, acknowledged the strain when the leadership change became public. “The Board and the office team worked through many challenges to provide exemplary service to the Baltimore community,” Smith said.
Kevin Seawright arrived with a resume built on public budgets. He spent more than a decade in senior financial and operational posts with Baltimore City government, served as chief financial officer of the Newark Community Economic Development Corp. in New Jersey, and now oversees finance at the Baltimore Development Corp., the city’s economic development agency.
Marc H. Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, pointed to that record when the appointment was announced. “His work strengthening neighborhoods, expanding homeownership pathways and advancing economic stability reflects the core values of the Urban League movement,” Morial said.
How the Probation Was Lifted
Lessard confirmed to the AFRO on March 10 that the probation had ended. GBUL had submitted a comprehensive plan addressing fundraising, board development and long-term sustainability, he said, and it was filing reports on time and keeping its financial statements current.
“The success is attributed to the guidance provided by Kevin Seawright, its new board chair,” Lessard said.
Seawright described the shift in plainer terms. “We’ve undergone a transition that has allowed the organization to move forward,” he said.
Day-to-day leadership stayed in familiar hands. Tershea Rice, who has been with GBUL since 2021 and previously served as its chief operating officer, became interim president and CEO and has worked alongside the new chair through the recovery.
Corporate backers returned quickly. Ahead of the league’s annual Business Summit, scheduled for April 24 at 701 E. Pratt St., Seawright said earlier sponsors had already recommitted. “We’ve received support from some area businesses that have previously been engaged with the GBUL for our Business Summit, including Baltimore Gas & Electric, Giant Foods and Wells Fargo Bank,” he said. TD Bank signed on as a new community sponsor.
Organizers billed the summit as free to the public. Its centerpiece was a pitch competition in which aspiring entrepreneurs present business plans to a panel of judges, who score each proposal on clarity, methodology and plan quality before deciding which ideas receive funding.
Kevin Seawright Backs a Sharper Mission
Governance repairs came first. A new mission statement followed on April 20, 2026, committing GBUL to becoming Maryland’s most trusted institution for economic mobility. Four pillars anchor it: workforce development for adults retraining into new careers, youth leadership, entrepreneurship in historically underserved communities and civic engagement.
Rice said the statement would hold “every program, every decision, every dollar” to one test: whether it advances economic mobility for the people GBUL serves.
Seawright cast the board’s job as one of accountability. “It reflects the discipline, clarity and ambition we expect of this organization at this moment in its history,” he said. “We are proud to stand behind Tershea and this team as they lead the Greater Baltimore Urban League into its next chapter.”
GBUL said it would follow the announcement with stakeholder briefings, program updates and partner convenings over the following months.
Some early recognition has arrived. GBUL and its young professionals auxiliary, the Greater Baltimore Leadership Association, came home from the 2026 National Urban League Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, with a slate of organizational and individual honors, the Baltimore Times reported.
Seawright has kept his public comments focused on programs, from youth initiatives to support for aspiring entrepreneurs. “We remain committed to educating, empowering and training our communities to ensure they are prepared to meet future needs,” he said in March.
