Jerry J. McPherson serves as the Director of Economic Empowerment for the Greater Phoenix Urban League (GPUL). In this role, he directs the historic non-profit’s workforce development initiatives, which provide marginalized communities with career opportunities and skills training to be competitive in the evolving economy such as the Entrepreneurship Center, which supports disadvantaged small businesses, and its financial literacy programs. Prior to joining GPUL, Jerry served as President of its volunteer auxiliary organization, the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals. McPherson holds the designation of Certified Public Accountant, with over 15 years of professional experience in corporate and public accounting. In 2019, Jerry was recognized by two different publications—the Phoenix Business Journal and CPA Practice Advisor—as one of their “40 under 40.” Jerry McPherson earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia State University and is a graduate of the National Urban League’s highly selective Emerging Leaders program, led by Duke Corporate Education. In addition to his service to the community, Jerry is a Veteran who has been serving for 6 years in the Army National Guard.
Jerry McPherson is a member of the Greater Phoenix Workforce Leadership Academy, Class of 2021-22. Click here to learn more about local leadership academies in the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network.
The Workforce Leadership Academies are part of the Economic Opportunity Fellows Network, a network of leadership and fellowship programs run by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program. Within this Network, EOP connects national and local leaders from across sectors — nonprofit, government, business, philanthropy, academia, and more — to advance policies and practices with the potential to help low- and moderate-income Americans thrive in today’s economy. Learn more at as.pn/eofn.
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