By Aaron Allen, The Seattle Medium
Last week, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle (ULMS) promoted longtime leader Linda Taylor to chief programs officer and named Seattle native James Bush as chief operating officer and executive vice president, elevating two leaders whose work reflects both the organization’s history and its future.
The promotions come as ULMS continues a period of significant growth, expanding its staffing, programming and services to meet increasing demand across the region and deepen its impact in housing, education, workforce development and public health.
“The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle has grown from a small but mighty team of 12 to an organization of more than 150 dedicated to serving our community at scale,” said Michelle Merriweather, president and CEO. “That kind of growth requires leaders who are grounded in purpose and committed to impact. James Bush and Ms. Linda Taylor are exactly those leaders. Their promotions reflect both where we have been and where we are going as an organization.”
Taylor, the organization’s longest-tenured staff member, began her career with ULMS in 1998 as a housing counselor, helping individuals and families take their first steps toward homeownership. Over nearly three decades, she has played a central role in building and expanding the programs that now define the organization’s reach.
In her new role as chief programs officer, Taylor will oversee all public-facing departments, including housing, outreach, financial empowerment, public health equity, entrepreneurship, education and workforce development.
“The heart of our growth has always been our programs and the people we serve,” said Merriweather. “Ms. Linda Taylor has been a guiding force in shaping that for more than 25 years. She has made certain that we have never lost sight of our mission or our values. Her leadership, wisdom, and unwavering commitment to our community make her the ideal Chief Programs Officer for this next chapter.”
Throughout her tenure, Taylor has helped expand a comprehensive suite of services designed to support long-term stability and economic mobility. Those efforts include financial education, mortgage counseling and loan modification support, credit development, rental assistance, transitional housing and reentry services.
While Taylor’s leadership reflects the institutional foundation of ULMS, Bush’s appointment signals a continued investment in community-rooted leadership and operational growth.
A lifelong Seattle resident, Bush steps into his new role after helping guide the organization’s operations, systems and cross-functional strategy. His promotion reflects both his leadership within ULMS and his long-standing connection to the communities the organization serves.
“I’m super excited to be able to be here at this point in my career to just be able to dive into the work,” said Bush. “With the communities that I care about as a lifelong Seattle person working with these communities deeply and for my whole career, being able to focus deeply with them side by side is the highlight of my career.”
Before joining ULMS, Bush held leadership roles with the City of Seattle, where he helped manage neighborhood-based programs and advance race and social justice initiatives, and with Seattle Public Schools, where he led districtwide family and community engagement efforts.
“I love that James is homegrown, born and raised in this community. That matters,” said Merriweather. “James has been instrumental in helping us build the systems, structure, and discipline needed to serve our community at scale. His promotion to chief operating officer and executive vice president reflects both the impact he has already made and the critical role he will continue to play in leading our organization forward.”
Community leaders say Bush’s promotion reflects a broader impact beyond the organization itself.
“Growing up in the city of Seattle and his incredible efforts, I definitely think it’s a great thing that the Urban League has recognized James’s immediate impact,” said Willie Seales, co-founder and board member of the Academy for Creating Excellence. “His impact on the community and being able to bring his work to the forefront, that is important.”
As he steps into the role, Bush said he is also preparing for challenges ahead, including a shifting political climate that could affect both funding and the communities ULMS serves.
“Some of our biggest challenges is the funding and political environment,” said Bush. “As funding begins to decrease, we have to figure out how to diversify funding and bring more people into the Urban League family and invest in us.”
Bush also pointed to broader concerns, including what he described as racial erasure and the potential impact of funding cuts on programs that many families rely on, as factors shaping the organization’s path forward.
Taylor’s promotion reflects the institutional foundation that has helped shape ULMS’s growth, while Bush’s role signals the organization’s focus on its next chapter.
Even with those challenges, Bush said his focus remains on continuing the organization’s legacy of community support and opportunity.
“The Urban League has been here for 95 years. It’s pulled people up, including myself,” said Bush. “I’m really excited about how, in my position, I can help bring the next generation up.”
“I’m a Seattle born and raised kid. I’ve had people wrapped around me, caring for me, throughout my life and it’s not a miracle,” continued Bush. “Being a part of a community that cares about each other and invests and is committed to each other, we can make anything happen. And me being at the Urban League, it is a blessing. My goal is to pour into as many people as I can in my time here at the Urban League.”
