Dr. Patrick Graham and Friends

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Dr. Patrick Graham is an economic and social justice architect with over 30 years of executive level experience.

Dr. Patrick Graham is an economic and justice architect with over twenty-five years of experience as a social and public leader. He served as the chief executive officer of the Martin Luther King Center of Long Island, Urban League of Central Carolinas, Charlotte Works, Senior Policy Advisor for Wealth Building with the City of Richmond, and a director with the Crisis Assistance Ministry. He currently serves as CEO of WeBuild Concord.  However, Dr. Graham is best known for creating regional and national economic and social justice strategies.

As the architect for strategies such as Careers4All, The Opportunity Generation, The Regional Richmond Eviction Prevention Model, Bank of the Urban League of Central Carolinas, State of Ethnic Charlotte, Screaming Without Vocal Cords for the Falsely Accused, and his coined term, “Not at-risk, but at-opportunity,” his systems change designs empowered tens of thousands of people with education, employment, entrepreneurship, housing, ownership, and policies. Many of Dr. Graham’s designs preceded economic mobility studies and were replicated by several agencies throughout the United States.

His education spans several disciplines. Dr. Graham earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Johnson C. Smith University, a Master of Arts in African American Studies (Media and Policy) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in American History focusing on civil rights and migration from Stony Brook University. He has several academically published works on civil liberties, economic mobility, and migration.

Dr. Graham has received several awards, including the Long Island Herald Person of the Year, the Exodus Foundation Harriet Tubman-Nat Turner Award, the National Urban League Innovative CEO Award, Omega Psi Phi North and South Carolina Citizen of the Year, Trail Blazer of the Year from the Knights of Peter Claver, and other acknowledgments.

He is most proud of being a father, a husband, and a person who believes, “Love, resilience, and courage are paths to grace.”

Achievements & Awards
WeBuild Concord (formerly Concord Family Enrichment Association) 2021 - present

Achievements

  • Oversee sixteen (16) affordable, mixed-income, and mixed-use projects with over 90 units in the completed, under construction, and architectural phases.
  • Managing over $16 million in assets and an estimated $15.4 million forthcoming. 
  • Launching of a community-wide strategic plan
  • Led the creation of a community land trust with over thirty partner organizations and residents
  • Developed consensus with over thirty partners to develop a regional housing framework for Cabarrus County
  • 50% expansion of the WeBuild Concord Board of Directors
  • Rebranding of the organization

Achievements

  • Designed the workforce and economic development and equity strategies for financial projects.
  • Developed a new investment ratio and metrics for workforce development programs.
  • Led developing and implementing equity strategies for outreach and feedback for the Regional Housing Framework that increased low-income participation from 4 percent to 48 percent.
  • Led the development of the centralization of prevention eviction services for the City of Richmond and regional counties.  Increased funding from $1.2 million to $25 million.
  • Partnered to market and develop strategies for the cliff tool and framework with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and Robins Foundation for the Richmond and Charlotte markets.
  • Created a Stability Measure to predict the movement of families from crisis to thriving with partner agencies.
  • Created the 10th Anti-Poverty Commission Anniversary policy plan based on strategies for justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI).
  • Co-led initiatives for sentencing reform and false accusation policies for public and faith-based organizations that led to the early release of several returning residents.

Achievements

  • Led communitywide “Careers4All” strategic plan and outreach for segregated and displaced communities.
  • Developed state advocacy and policy agenda for North Carolina workforce boards.
  • Developed new investment ratios and impact statements to guide system performance.
  • Increased salaries earned by participants by 30% and business participation by 20% in the first full year.
  • Increased job placements from 5,000 to over 7,000 in the first full year with grantees and partners.
  • Led the development of coordination between the workforce and housing agencies.

Achievements

  • Increased private fundraising by 60% over six years through strategic planning.
  • National certifications in broadband, solar, energy, and construction; increasing graduate wages by 33%.
  • Increased (K-12) core skills pass rates by 38% and Entrepreneur Academy Launch
  • Established Bank of the ULCC for C.R.A., non-banked, and small businesses.
  • Led bank initiative that provided $6.7 million in loans to women and minority businesses.
  • 2011 State of Ethnic Charlotte, a book and initiative for inclusive public and private policies.
  • 2013 Bank of America Neighborhood of Excellence Award.
  • 2013 Innovative Affiliate C.E.O. of the Year, National Urban League.
  • 2014 Most Improved Affiliate, National Urban League.
  • 2016 Technology Champion, National Urban League.

 Achievements

  • Merged city and county eviction programs with the agency for the first time.
  • Expansion of operations through three record-breaking years.
  • Develop satellite locations as a new outreach model for segregated communities.
  • Expanded partners by 25% during tenure and established new success metrics.
  • Led research projects related to prevention and housing continuums.