T'wina Franklin '06, MAT '07
She/Her/Hers
Major: U.S. Politics
Job Title: President and CEO
Organization: Tacoma Urban League
Host Date: Wednesday, January 10, 2018 or Thursday, January 11, 2018*
Time: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Location: Tacoma, WA

*T'wina will be hosting two separate groups of students

What student groups/clubs/activities were you involved in when you were a student at Puget Sound?

  • Cheer Team
  • Black Student Union
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Homecoming Queen
  • MAT Graduate Fellowship
  • Abroad to Naruto, Japan

How would you describe your role and organization?

As President and CEO of Tacoma Urban League, I have the privilege of establishing vision and strategy for the organization. For nearly 50 years the Tacoma Urban League has worked in a variety of ways to strengthen and support the local African American community. Founded in 1968, the Tacoma Urban League is devoted to empowering African Americans and other disenfranchised groups to enter the economic and social mainstream. From its earliest days in the civil rights movement, through years of partnership with government and public agencies, the Tacoma Urban League has been a beacon of hope and a catalyst for change in the South Puget Sound African American community. I am deeply committed to the mission of Tacoma Urban league and ensuring the organization's fiscal, operations, fundraising, marketing, human resource, technology, and programmatic strategies are effectively implemented within the organization.

How would the skills and competencies gained through a liberal arts education be beneficial in the type of work you do?

It's beneficial to have a broad foundation of knowledge that can support a wide spectrum of organizational needs. This role is an expansion of my leadership and connects to multiple career experiences and skills.

What can a student expect to experience by job shadowing you?

Expect to learn about budget constraints, small non-profits' relationships with professional development programs/opportunities, the importance of thinking BIG and being open to learning a lot of what you want to learn as a non-profit leader.