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Page 8 The Skanner Portland & Seattle MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISE EDITION September 18, 2019 MBE 2019 Ray B. Shackelford Elected as President of National Urban League Young Professionals Special Business Edition By Jeffrey L. Boney NNPA Newswire Contributor hen it comes to voting, it is often said that “every vote counts” and that ad- age really rang true for Houston native Ray B. Shackelford, as he was recently elected as the 10th National President of the National Urban League Young Profes- sionals (NULYP) by a narrow ONE vote margin at the National Urban League (NUL) Annual Convention in Indianap- olis. Again, every vote counts! NULYP is a National Urban League volunteer auxiliary that targets young professionals from the ages of 21 to 40, who seek to empower their communities and change lives through the Urban League Move- ment. NULYP’s mission is to support the Ur- ban League Movement W through volunteerism, philanthropy and mem- bership development. Since its inception, NULYP has worked to support their Affiliates and to develop a lead- ership pipeline for the NUL. Over the years, the NULYP’s role has ex- panded to a point where they have provided lead- ership in every space, while helping to bridge generational gaps and solve problems that have plagued the African American community for decades. Shackelford was elect- ed to serve as the new leader of NULYP, which was ironically unveiled at the NUL Annual Con- ference in Houston back in 1999. Fast forward to 2019, and we find a Houstonian at the helm of the very organization that was launched in his home city of Houston exactly twenty years ago. “This all still seems sur- real,” said Shackelford. “I am humbled and thank- ful for this awesome re- sponsibility.” It is also fitting that Shackelford will be at the helm of leading the organization, as the NUL Annual Conference will be returning to his home- town of Houston in 2020. Shackelford was born and raised in Houston’s Third Ward, where he spent his entire child- hood attending Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. After graduating from Lamar High School, he left Houston to attend Morehouse College, where he graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, concen- trating in Finance. Upon returning to Houston, Shackelford became a member of the Houston Area Urban League for Young Pro- fessionals (HAULYP) and was eventually elected to serve as its President. As President, he steered HAULYP to an intense focus on ser- vice programming and connecting with the community. His impact in that role led to him being named as the Na- tional President of the Year. Shackelford went on to serve as Southern Region Vice President of NULYP before recently being elected to serve as the 10th National Presi- dent. Recognized as a leader in his community, Shack- elford was nominated by the Mayor of Houston and confirmed by the Houston City Council to serve on the city’s Inde- pendent Police Oversight Board (IPOB), making him one of the youngest members to serve on that board in the city’s histo- ry. In this role, Shackel- ford reviews investiga- tions conducted by the Houston Police Depart- ment’s Internal Affairs Division when officers use force on civilians or discharge their firearms. PHOTO: NAACP.ORG Native Houstonian Takes the Helm as NULYP Celebrates 20 Years of Making an Impact After 22 years at Pfizer, and a lifetime of community and social activism, Boykin-Towns has taken her talents to Sard Verbinnen & Co. (SVC). After reviewing those cases, Shackelford and his peers make recom- mendations to the May- or, Chief of Police, and the Public Safety repre- sentative for City Coun- cil. Not only is Shackelford an Eagle Scout, he is also a proud member of the Rho Beta Beta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraterni- ty, Inc., as well as a gradu- ate of the Houston Black Leadership Institute Class II, National Urban League Emerging Lead- ers Class VII, National Urban League Advocacy Certificate Program, Ac- celer8 Cohort 3, United Way Project Blueprint Class XXXV, and Leader- ship Houston Class XXX- VII. He is also the proud father of a nine-year old See SHAKELFORD on page 10 We proudly celebrate Minority Business Enterprises. Together, we grow. RIDE THE WAVE