ANDREA, NEW PREZ & CEO OF PHILA URBAN LEAGUE

LINE SISTER ANDREA CUSTIS BECOMES NEW PRESIDENT & CEO OF THE PHITLADELPHIA URBAN LEAGUE

ANDREA L. CUSTIS, a former board member, is returning to the Philadelphia Urban League as its new President and CEO, The Philadelphia Tribune learned Thursday in a meeting with Custis and outgoing interim president Patricia Coulter.

Custis will be formerly introduced late at a later date as the new CEO. She will officially assume the office on July 3.

Custis, 65, is coming out of retirement to lead the organization. The Baltimore native retired in 2011 following a distinguished career at Verizon where in her last position she was president and COO, Verizon Avenue and group president, sales and marketing-DSL advanced services. Under her leadership the Mid-Atlantic Region of Verizon shined. Custis, who worked for Verizon for more than 30 years, generated $6 billion in revenue, helping to make the region the fastest-growing region in the nation, and she led more than 7,500 employees.

Custis, who beat out 51 candidates for the job, said her extensive executive experience with Verizon will help her in leading the Urban League forward.

“I believe that Verizon gave me the means to do what needs to be done with the Urban League,” Custis said. “I have always been in the area of community and non-profit. I have always stayed in the community. I believe I have the passion. I believe I have the leadership, and I believe that I absolutely will be a good servant of the community.

“I also know that I am a very strategic visionary leader,” Custis continued. “I can see things short-term but, more importantly, I can see where we need to go. I am so passionate about our mission. I don’t use a lot of words to describe it, but to me, it is social and economic empowerment.”

Coulter, who served in a full-time capacity from 2002 – 2014, was the first female president of the Philadelphia organization. She was briefly replaced by Rosalyn J. McPherson in 2014. Two years later, Coulter returned in an interim role after McPherson abruptly stepped down to take care of her ailing mother.

Coulter and Custis have a relationship that goes way back. They served on the board of directors for six years but have known each since the 1980s.

Custis earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Morgan State University. She also holds a Masters of Science Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania.

Coulter said that Custis’ role as a CEO of Verizon positions her well to understand the development aspects needed to continue to grow the organization. That, and the knowledge she has from working with the board of directors, according to Coulter, is just what the Philadelphia Urban League, celebrating its 100 year, needs at this time.

“I see this transition from Coulter to Custis as one that is transformational,” Coulter said “We are celebrating our centennial this year. People say, ‘OK, 100 years – what’s next?’ For her, it’s the transformational aspect of this work. She has talked about how do we get to our people faster, quicker and getting them more information. All that kind of stuff is the 21Century work that we have to have. And with her background in technology, she has the brainpower to transform this organization and really move it forward. So I’m excited for her and I’m really excited for the Urban League of Philadelphia.”

On Thursday, Custis spoke passionately about where she believes the Urban League can go. She said that the main areas of focus for the organization would be in housing, education, healthcare and economic development.

She also pointed out that the organization must be proactive in dealing with the some of the challenges it now faces from new president Donald Trump’s administration. The Trump administration’s budget has huge cuts planned for many of the social services provided by the Urban League, particularly in the areas of housing and anti-poverty programming.

“The proposed budget cuts will absolutely hurt people of color and poor people. I don’t care what color you are, people who are impoverished will be hurt. Our funding under housing and childcare is absolutely targeted. There is an incredible degree of concern here. So when I look at the administration right now, many of the people we service are in jeopardy.”

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