Honoring Sharmain Matlock Turner on her 15 years of service as President and CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition.

WHEREAS, Sharmain Matlock-Turner began her tenure as President and CEO of the Urban Affairs Coalition (“UAC”) in March of 1999, with a special distinction as the first female leader in UAC's 44-year history; and

WHEREAS, UAC, formerly the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, unites government, business, neighborhoods and individuals together to improve overall quality of life in the region and the organization's efforts are focused in four areas - improving life changes for youth and young adults, building wealth in low-income communities, strengthening the grassroots nonprofit sector and forging strategic partnerships across sectors and communities; and

WHEREAS, In partnership with a diverse Board of Directors made up of business, nonprofit and community leaders, Ms. Matlock-Turner, her team of managers and more than 350 employees forge partnerships and build consensus around the goal of helping families reduce poverty and reach the middle class; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Matlock-Turner is also a co-founder and Chair of the West Oak Lane Charter School and a co-founder of Arise Academy Charter High School, the country's first public charter high school for youth in foster care; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Matlock-Turner serves on the following boards and commissions: People's Emergency Center, Philadelphia Facility Management Corporation— which operates Philadelphia Gas Works on behalf of the City, Entrepreneur Works, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia, Clear Channel Local Advisory Board, Philadelphia Civil Service Commission Nominating Panel, Philadelphia Council for College and Career Success, Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, African American Chamber Foundation, and the RBS Citizens Bank Advisory Committee, and

WHEREAS, Ms. Matlock-Turner is a regular guest on 6ABC's

Inside Story

and co-host of the radio show

Financial Voices

on WURD 900-AM; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Matlock-Turner holds a bachelor's degree in Education from Temple University and in 2005, she was one of three Philadelphia nonprofit leaders selected to receive a scholarship to the Harvard Business School's nonprofit leaders' summer program; and

WHEREAS, Ms. Matlock-Turner is married to Tony Turner and has two grown daughters, Ayanna Matlock and Naima Turner and she is also the grandmother of Joshua Matlock Hale; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby recognize Sharmain Matlock-Turner as she celebrates 15 years of service as the President and Chief Executive Officer of UAC.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Ms. Matlock-Turner as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.

End

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