How Dr. Charles F. Lomax Jr. plans to empower the community as next Urban League CEO

Dr. Charles F. Lomax has achieved success as a community leader. Now, as the next president and CEO of the Knoxville Area Urban League, he aims to help others, especially young professionals like himself, reach their goals.

“At its core, the Urban League is a civil rights organization, and we want to continue to walk in that mantle,” he told Knox News. “And it's all about empowering (the people we serve).”

After a nationwide search, Lomax was unanimously chosen by the Urban League board as its next leader following the retirement of Phyllis Nichols, the organization's longest-serving CEO.

Knox News spoke with Lomax about his priorities at the helm of the historic institution, which include empowering youth and young professionals, supporting entrepreneurship, and addressing such issues as poverty in underserved communities and voter access. His tenure begins Dec. 12.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:Knoxville Area Urban League enters a new era as a local leader steps into CEO role

Knox News: How are you feeling now that the news is out? What are the emotions?

Dr. Charles F. Lomax Jr.: I'm still processing my emotions to be honest. There's definitely a sense of excitement, joy, relief that the word is finally out and that I'm able to share. It's been a bit overwhelming with the weight of the news itself, but even just with all of the calls and texts of congratulations. Yeah, it's been really exciting thus far and I'm sure that the rest of the day will bring just as much if not more excitement.

Knox News: A local candidate was chosen following a national search for the next Urban League CEO. How has being an established community leader prepared you to take on this new role?

Lomax: Well, it's extremely humbling to recognize that (there) was a national search and that out of all of the qualified candidates that I'm sure applied and submitted that I was selected. I'm grateful for the trust that the board has placed in me and all of my interactions with them has been extremely wonderful. And I can't say enough about Mrs. (Phyllis) Nichols and the impact that she's had. And I think being born and raised here in Knoxville was an advantage. Being able to work for the city and with other organizations that are a part of this community, and having those established relationships, it's something that I see as an asset and I look forward to building upon those as well.

Knox News: How important is having a Knoxville native lead the Urban League for the community it serves?

Lomax: Wow. I think that it's important for the simple fact that this is my home, and I bring a different desire and passion to see the greatness that I know is here. Not to say that, you know, someone from a different location could not do this job and do it effectively, but I think that being born and raised in this city, in this community, and helping those and working with those that are from here just adds fuel to the fire.

Knox News: The Urban League has made great strides to not only uplift the community, but also serve as a model for other organizations. How do you hope to build on this legacy and take it to the next level?

Lomax: I really want to be able to get in the seat and see where we are as an organization, have time to meet with the staff and with the board and to really meet with community as well. And then from there, (I’d) love to start to build upon what is already being done and potentially start some new initiatives also. But that's going to be one of those things that we're going to evaluate as time comes about and see what's down the road.

Knox News: Looking down the road, what are your long-term goals for the organization?

Lomax: At its core, the Urban League is a civil rights organization, and we want to continue to walk in that mantle. And it's all about empowering. And here at the City of Knoxville, that's kind of the role that we occupy within (the Community Empowerment) department and continuing in that vein as well of empowering communities and changing lives. And so, meeting people where they are, hearing their concerns, their needs, and addressing those to the best of our ability.

Knox News: What are the most immediate needs for Knoxville's Black community? What can you tackle first?

Lomax: Well, I think that'll be part of the assessment of me actually getting in (and) seeing where we, as an organization, are. But there are so many things that I would love to really get my hands involved with – continuing in the work of housing and entrepreneurship and really building our youth. I think that's an extremely important aspect of the work that the Urban League does and pouring into our young people and providing them opportunities. That's something that I'm really excited about working with.

Knox News: What are some of the issues you hope to prioritize and help find solutions to during your tenure?

Lomax: I've been really passionate about financial empowerment. Working here with the city, we've got a couple of initiatives that we're in the process of working on and that's something that I am hopeful and optimistic that we can continue in and through our work at the Urban League.

Knox News: You previously told Knox News that improving race relations and trust between citizens and government and law enforcement was one of your biggest goals. How can serving as the Urban League CEO help achieve this goal?

Lomax: I think that we really have to take a look at the relationships that we have in place. I know that the Urban League has an excellent relationship with the City of Knoxville, as well as Knox County, and are really looking in that role to continue operating with that sense. And knowing that I'm going into this space, having worked for the city, and kind of seeing things from this side, as well as my involvement in the community with other organizations, I'm really excited to fuse all of that together. And I think that the collaborative piece of that is what will ultimately help to improve those relationships.

One of the things that I've been really excited about from this role is being able to have people at the table and really getting individuals appointed to various committees and boards and making recommendations for that because representation matters. I think that when a young child is able to look and see someone sitting at a table that looks like them, that makes all the difference. And at the same time, encourages them to want to do something similar to or akin to. I am that child; I stand on the shoulder of giants and those who came before me and seeing them operate in that space and in that field was an inspiration to me. I hope that, ultimately, my work and those with whom I'll be working will have that same impact.

Knox News: Very few of leadership positions in government, business and nonprofits in this region are filled by people of color. How will you challenge organizations to bring more people of color to the leadership ranks?

Lomax: I've had various conversations in relation to that and I think that one of the things that we have to do within Knoxville is work on our retention rates. We have a number of young, talented, educated people that come through our city in a transient manner. They're educated and then they leave for a number of different reasons. But I would love to be able to retain some of the talent that we see passing through Knoxville and hold on to them, and to really build leadership from that foundation. One of the things that I'm really excited about is our Young Professionals with the Urban League and really getting that up and running. I see that as being a way of retention and really building up that core of young leaders that ultimately will take the reins and move Knoxville to greater and higher heights.

Knox News: What do Knoxville's Black-owned businesses need most?

Lomax: Opportunity. I think opportunity, access to capital, training as far as bidding for contracts and insurance and bonding. Sometimes it's a lot to deal with when you're trying to start up a business and you have a desire, and you have a passion, and you have a dream, but along with that desire, passion, and dream there are also other aspects of business that have to be combined and coupled with that. And so, I think that that's something that our entrepreneurs and business owners would appreciate, and hopefully, working with city and county government to cut some of the red tape when it comes to various contracts with those entities. Knoxville is growing and thriving and making sure that those individuals who have those hopes and dreams and desires are seated in the right spaces in order to help their businesses to grow, which ultimately, will lead to job creation, which will be great for the entirety of the city.

Knox News: Knoxville has one of the highest rates of poverty among Black residents, a legacy generations in the making. How, specifically, will you engage the public sector and the private sector to correct this systemic inequity?

Lomax: I don't think there's one specific silver bullet for addressing poverty. But I think that it takes multiple individuals, multiple organizations working in tandem to really address that. One of the things that I am working on currently, within my role as community empowerment director, is trying to create a Financial Empowerment Center, which is an initiative of Cities for Financial Empowerment out of New York. If we're able to get that up and running, we would be the fourth city in the state of Tennessee – behind Jackson, Nashville and Memphis – to have a Financial Empowerment Center and what that does is it provides free professional one-on-one financial counseling to residents who are low- to moderate-income as a public service. And so, it enables them to have access to that; there's no limit as to how many times they can get that counseling. But that provides a way for them to be able to manage their finances, establish credit, debt reduction, or whatever the case may be.

I know that I recently read an article talking about that the pandemic led to us having more individuals with checking accounts than ever before, which is great, but we still have so many people that are unbanked. And that definitely is something that I want to make sure that we address and that we're working toward. Poverty is definitely something that we need to tackle, but one entity, one organization, one administration cannot do that alone.

Knox News: The Urban League has committed to helping make sure the downtown Smokies stadium project benefits Knoxville's Black residents and businesses. What's the most important thing that can be done to ensure that?

Lomax: (That’s something) I need to get in the seat a little bit and kind of just see where we are in the structuring of that. I think it's an excellent idea. I'm grateful for the partnership between the Urban League and (GEM Community Development Group), but before I can give an answer on that, I just need to have a little bit more time to do my research.

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Knox News: What is the one action the average person can take to improve the quality of life for people of color in this region?

Lomax: I think the one action that people can take to improve the quality of life in our area is to exercise their right to vote. We're in the middle of an election cycle right now and being able to go out and to exercise your voice and that right that many take for granted, I think, is ultimately what will make the difference in changing things locally. A lot of times we focus on presidential elections and those things that seem great and grand, but local politics matter and making sure that we have the right people in office that love and care for our community, and that are going to represent those that send them to office is one of the things that will make the biggest difference. The other thing I will say in response to that is become a member of the Urban League. And that will also help to make a difference as well.

Knox News: How does the Urban League assist with providing voter resources and information?

Lomax: Voting has long been a tenant of the Urban League, making sure that we have voter registration as well as voter information and motivation also, and that's something that I plan to continue and to improve upon once I am in the seat and at the helm of the Urban League.

And another aspect of what the Urban League does is also expungement for those that have paid their debt to society, and that have served their time, and being able to have their rights restored in order to cast their vote and to let their voice be heard as well. And so that's something that's extremely important and that's something that the Urban League has done in conjunction with the law school at the University of Tennessee as well as others. And so, (we’re) really excited to give as many that are eligible the opportunity to get out and cast their ballots.

Knox News: What do you want readers to know about the Urban League and its mission today?

Lomax: I want the readers to know that the Urban League is present, we are active and engaged and involved and that we are here to serve the city of Knoxville and surrounding areas. We’re the Knoxville Area Urban League and so I want people to really recognize that we are a resource and that we are ready to dig in and to help.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Dr. Charles F. Lomax shares plans as new Knoxville Area Urban League CEO