Urban Alliance (UA) has announced an expansion of its executive team with the appointment of Roderick Howard as Chief Operating Officer, Monique Lloyd as Chief People Officer, and Tyran Omary as Chief Program Officer. They join Abiodun Durojaye, Ed.D, who was appointed CEO in July 2023.
“I am energized by what this team has already begun doing to impact our organization and the students we serve. As we evolve our programming to meet the current and future workforce demands, this team will bring innovative ideas and collaborative approaches internally and with our partners to position Urban Alliance as a leader in talent development,” states Durojaye.
In his role as COO, Howard will drive key operational and administrative functions to ensure that UA has the infrastructure needed to continue the organization’s success and impact. UA has 65 employees and an annual operating budget of $11 million. Howard will oversee Finance, IT, and Compliance in the national office located in Washington, D.C.
Prior to joining UA, Howard served as the National Director of Operations for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), supporting four regions across the country. He has held multiple roles for the YMCA including Vice President of Community Engagement/Executive Director at the Piedmont Family YMCA in Charlottesville Virginia, Executive Director of Youth Development at the YMCA of Northwest North Carolina in Winston-Salem, and working with the YMCA of the USA to launch programs, serve on National Employee Resource Groups, Multicultural Development programs, Diversity and Inclusion committees and traveling around the country engaging and supporting Y’s of all sizes.
Lloyd brings more than 18 years of experience in the field of human resources to her role as Chief People Officer. Prior to her role at Urban
Alliance, Lloyd served in various leadership capacities within several market sectors including security, public relations, healthcare, and photonics. In her role as Regional Director for G4S she created a “One Market, One Team” approach to bridging the gap among a remote team, which increased productivity and cut inefficiencies by more than 90%.
As Chief People Officer, she is the architect for the Urban Alliance’s talent management strategies and culture initiatives, responsible for engaging employees, developing organizational culture, and building an exceptional team.
Prior to being named Chief Program Officer, Omary held many positions within the organization, working for both DC region and the national office. She leads the development of new programmatic models and delivery, pilots new interventions, manages major grant-funded programs, and leverages data and evaluation to continuously improve Urban Alliance’s outcomes and processes.
”Under Abiodun’s leadership, this team is poised to lead us in building the diverse next-generation workforce we need. This is an exciting time for Urban Alliance as we continue to innovate and find new ways to prepare students in underserved communities, who have enormous potential but need better access to opportunities, for career pathways that create upward economic mobility,” states Mary Menell Zients, Board Chair for Urban Alliance.