Vote Gee James for President of the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network

The Three Ps of Success — People, Product and Process

My name is Garrett “Gee” James and I have a deep love for the Northern Virginia Urban League Young Professionals Network and most of all, its people — which is why I have decided to run for president.

There is no deficit when it comes to issues affecting our communities; issues such as affordable housing, expanding entrepreneurship and job opportunities, education, student loan reform, LGBTQ rights, health and JUSTICE. These are the issues that require the urgency of NOW and these are the issues we must not only be informed of, but fully engaged in. It is through this work that we can birth great change.

The presidency of NVULYPN is an honored position. For the past eight years, I have been a dedicated servant leader through the NVULYPN, giving support both through my time and resources. I have been afforded a host of leadership opportunities from being new member of the year to simultaneously holding two executive board positions, these leadership opportunities have cultivated and prepared me to lead the organization with a clear vision for the future. I am ready now more than ever before! I believe we must appreciate and honor our roots while also recognizing that this will not be our grandfathers’ civil rights organization. If the world is to change, it will be up to us to change it.

So what’s my vision and platform of success for NVULYPN’s upcoming year…? It’s called the Three Ps — People, Product and Process. Very popular in the business world, I have seen many people use the Three Ps to achieve success in both their professional and personal lives. My plan is to apply this concept to NVULYPN in order to bring greater efficiency and effectiveness to its operations. I think the increased focus on these three areas will create a stronger foundation while also positioning NVULYPN for future growth. The better NVULYPN and its members operate, the better our service is to the community. Let me explain…

PEOPLE:

The mission of the Urban League movement is to enable African-Americans to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights. It’s all about the people. Who are they? They are the communities that we serve. They are the members and supporters like you and me. They are the other organizations with similar ideas and working to improve urban conditions. Remembering the PEOPLE is paramount and will allow NVULYPN to retain focus and keep the MAIN thing, the main thing.

PRODUCT:

NVULPN doesn’t manufacture tangible products. Our work does however contribute to making strong communities and we do this by focusing on areas like jobs, education, housing and health, among others. Other products are our members. NVULYPN’s underlining focus is to grow the current and next generations of leaders and we do this through our personal and professional development opportunities. And of course, we fundraise. A quick look through history tells us that every movement must be funded. We fundraise in order to provide greater services — whether it is rides to the polls during elections, gift cards for single mothers with infants or scholarships for worthy high school seniors, one of our major products is the funding we create. If at any time, we are making products that do not align with our mission and focus, we must pause and reconsider.

PROCESS:

This is the area that brings everything together. Even the most well-meaning organizations will suffer if their processes and strategies are not effectively established. Throughout my presidency, I want our leaders to continually keep a pulse on how effective we are in our efforts and how efficient we are in our delivery. I fully believe that failing to plan is planning to fail. If NVULYPN is to regain and retain its rightful place as the premier direct services and leadership development organization in Northern Virginia, we must ensure that our strategy is well crafted.

I believe that a strong vision sets direction and enables the whole organization to focus on outcomes. As we move forward to closing our 2nd decade of service, here are a few of the things that I specifically envision:

• Expanding our reach by establishing more strategic partnerships with community organizations with similar and differing focuses.
• Community service projects that are IMPACT-specific and long-term
• Full cultivation and development of our membership base in their personal and professional lives
• More membership appreciation and utilization (we have the best set of members in the area, let’s pull from that resource)
• Focus on quality and IMPACT over quantity in all efforts
• Engaging corporate sponsors and also untapped smaller donors — and actually delivering

I have a reputation of applying common sense principles and diligent work in order to find common ground to reach success. I am running for president of the NVULYPN because I am eager to couple my experienced leadership with clear vision and goals, in order to aid NVULYPN in reaching greater heights. I do not have any cool hash tags, just big vision and results. I am confident that our strong history of leadership, the passion in our members and the application of the Three Ps will lead us to success in a way that we’ve never imagined.

I humbly request your support and most importantly your vote. Together, we will achieve!