The Board of Directors of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc. has appointed Michael P. McMillan, 41, as the next president and chief executive officer of the 95 – year old Urban League affiliate. McMillan, the License Collector for the City of St. Louis since 2007 and a longtime Urban League member and supporter, takes the helm August 5, succeeding James H. Buford who is retiring after 28 years of stellar service to the Urban League.
“We are excited to have Mike McMillan on board as the new CEO. His skills, leadership and expertise are what’s needed to build upon the Urban League’s great legacy in the St. Louis community,” said Debra Denham, chair of the Urban League Board of Directors.
Michael McMillan has over 20 years of experience in social service and governmental affairs. In 2006, McMillan was elected as the youngest person to ever hold the position of License Collector for the City of St. Louis, and he was re-elected in 2010. In this capacity, he and his staff have been responsible for collecting nearly $60 million in revenue annually for the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Public Schools System, the Zoo-Museum District, the Community College District and other governmental agencies.
During his tenure at the License Collector’s office, McMillan has collected over $400 million dollars, while making over thirty improvements to provide better customer service through improving technology, staff training and improved office accessibility. In addition, he expanded the License Collector’s role to include community outreach to help business owners by hosting industry briefings to bring valuable information to licensed businesses.
“I am humbled and honored to be chosen as the new President and C.E.O. of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis. I am extremely grateful to the Board of Directors for giving me this opportunity, and I look forward to working extremely hard to continue the 95-year history of the Urban League as a major community leader in helping those in need throughout our region,” said Michael McMillan.
McMillan has over twenty-five years of experience with the Urban League having joined as a youth member at 16, being an Urban League Leslie Scholarship recipient during college, serving on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for six years, becoming a Life member at 28 and an active supporter of the League and all of its auxiliaries his entire adult life.
For a decade prior to serving as License Collector, McMillan served as Alderman of the 19th Ward in Midtown of the City of St. Louis. McMillan played an active role in revitalizing the 19th Ward through education development, housing construction and rehab, economic development, faith community development and overall neighborhood stabilization.
Projects he supported led to $1.25 billion in development of three high schools, an arena, a cancer medical research building, a shopping plaza, a new Hope VI housing development to replace crumbling public housing, senior housing, loft development, low-income housing and many other projects. In conjunction with the Danforth Foundation, McMillan co-founded the Vashon/Jeff Vander-Lou Initiative, which later became the St. Louis Community Empowerment Foundation.
“The Urban League Board has made an excellent choice in selecting Michael. He is a very accomplished person who has been a staunch supporter of the Urban League movement for many years,” said James H. Buford, retiring president and CEO of the Urban League.
“Jim Buford served the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis with distinction. He has grown the agency ten-fold, created invaluable partnerships and enhanced the effectiveness and visibility of the Urban League to the betterment of greater St. Louis,” said Denham. “We are indebted to Jim for his strategic leadership, vision and wisdom in growing the agency over the past 28 years. We believe that Mike McMillan is a worthy successor to move the organization forward, and he will continue to grow the League’s leadership and impact in this community.”
