
Urban League of Philadelphia Mourns the Passing of former CEO Patricia Coulter Philadelphia, PA:
Urban League of Philadelphia (ULP) President and CEO Darrin W. Anderson, Sr., PhD, MS, joined with the ULP Board and staff in mourning the passing of former ULP President and CEO Patricia A. Coulter. Coulter was appointed President and CEO in 2002, becoming the first woman to lead the organization. Coulter served in this role until 2014, leading the organization through one of its most significant periods of growth. She returned to the office as interim president and CEO briefly in 2023.
“Pat Coulter personified the values of excellence, commitment, and dedication to community - central themes of the Urban League,” said Darrin W. Anderson and Doug Oliver, ULP’s new Board Chair. “Pat’s brilliance and compassion as a leader are well known…but it’s her kindness, humanity, and bright spirit that those of us who had the pleasure of working with her will miss the most. She brightened every room she entered and always remained focused on our primary mission - service to our communities. We extend our deepest condolences to her loving family and friends. She will be terribly missed by us all.”
“The Urban League of Philadelphia and the entire National Urban League network has lost one of its most valued champions,” said ULP’s Immediate Past Board Chair Keith Bethel. “Pat was a mentor to many of us, a motivator and cheerleader for the next generation…and she was my dear friend. She leaves behind a legacy of service and an example that we should all strive to emulate. Truly a life well lived.”
In addition to her leadership role at the ULP, Pat held senior-level positions in regional, national, and international organizations. Prior to joining the Urban League of Philadelphia, she launched the startup of the global professional services firm, Lee Hecht Harrison’s regional Philadelphia office and led the diversity practice for an executive search firm, the Salveston Stetson Group. Before this, she directed the regional start-up and served as the executive leader of the national leadership development organization, INROADS, growing the eastern region to the largest in the nation. Pat’s history as a trailblazer began early in her career when she became the first African American teacher at Henderson Elementary School, DeKalb County, Georgia.
As the first woman to lead the Urban League of Philadelphia, Pat blazed a trail that many of today’s leaders have been able to follow. During her tenure, she led the organization’s strategic initiatives that defend civil rights and economically empower urban communities and served hundreds of thousands of adults and youth through direct service and advocacy programs that empower and improve communities. She was a legend throughout the National Urban League leadership network and a valued counsel to many.
The Urban League of Philadelphia will announce plans for a Memorial Service in the coming weeks.
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