Oakland – Black Elected Officials of the East Bay announced the election of Oakland District Three Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney as the new President of the Board of Directors. Councilmember McElhaney succeeds founding Board President and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, and assumes the presidency as Black Elected Officials of the East Bay looks to aggressively grow its geographic footprint over the coming months to further expand its services and membership reach. Councilmember McElhaney will also oversee the organization’s transition from being volunteer-led to having a professional paid staffing structure.
A member of the Board of Directors for four years, prior to becoming President, Lynette Gibson McElhaney served as Black Elected Officials of the East Bay Board Secretary. McElhaney also makes history as the first women to serve as Board President since the organization’s founding in 2001.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity at such a time as this,” said Councilmember McElhaney. “This is an incredibly exciting time for our Black elected leaders to confront persistent inequities and confront bigotry and bias at every level.”
What Is The Black Elected Officials Of The East Bay?
Black Elected Officials of the East Bay is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 by Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson. The Black Elected Officials of the East Bay organization expanded to include clergy leaders to strengthen efforts to effect greater change in the region’s black community.
Over a decade, the goal of the organization has been to increase the quantity and quality of African-American elected, appointed and spiritual leadership in the Black community through networking and relationship building.
Today, the organization consists of over 100 elected and appointed officials from throughout Alameda and Contra Costa County and meets bi-monthly.
Black Elected Officials of the East Bay works to improve the quality of life for all African-American communities. To support its vision, numerous activities are planned to engage and empower members’ initiatives in the communities they serve.
Activities include, but not limited to:
Regular Community Breakfast Forums featuring guest speakers;
Succession Planning Committee Meetings to identify potential candidates for elected and appointed offices;
Issue Forums with special guests