Urban league of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) CEO Michelle Merriweather traces her commitment to civic work back to her high school history class in suburban Los Angeles.

Over 30 years removed from Moorpark High School, she continues to refer to her history teacher by the formal Mr. Jones (first name Larry), in reverence to her mentor and role model. Mr. Jones was also the school’s Academic Decathlon coach, which Merriweather led to the state title in 1995.

“There are those transformative teachers. Mine was Mr. Jones in History in high school,” Merriweather fondly recalls. “He not only taught World History, but also Civics in a way that was digestible. I think he was ahead of his time in teaching us how the class system worked in a town that was not very diverse…His lessons still stay with me on how I lead, how I teach other people.”

And lead she has. A successful corporate executive with Fortune 500 companies such as Starbucks, Coca-Cola, and Heinz, Merriweather relinquished a lucrative career to pursue her passion for community and a commitment to civic work that was instilled in her by Mr. Jones. Merriweather joined ULMS as its vice president in February 2015 and was promoted to president and CEO in March 2018, in a national search after then-CEO Pamela Banks left for a job in Atlanta. During Merriweather’s tenure at ULMS, the staff has grown from 12 to over 150, and the organization’s annual budget has increased from under $4 million in 2015 to over $21 million in 2025. In the past decade she has emerged as an advocate for housing, education, and business development in Black communities. She has also bolstered the organization’s commitment to affordable and low-income housing. A $40 million capital campaign is currently planned to help build a new headquarters at 23rd Avenue South and Rainier Avenue South. By the time it’s built, ULMS will have developed over 1,000 housing units in less than 10 years, including 188 units above the proposed building.

Supporters of Merriweather point to her passion for community building. The relentless go-getter serves on the board of directors of the Alliance for Education, United Way of King County, KUOW, Progress Pushers, Seattle Chamber of Commerce, and Downtown Seattle Association, among others. She is also co-architect of the Black Future Co-op Fund and an inaugural member of the Washington State Women’s Commission.

“We hired her not only because she started making good contacts in the community,” says Jon Bridge, ULMS board chair emeritus. “She knew the League. She had a good educational background. It was a unanimous choice.”