Fair, T. Willard
CEO, The Urban League of Greater Miami
T. Willard Fair is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc. A powerful voice in the effort to improve his community, he has worked for the Urban League since September, 1963.
Fair is academically and professionally prepared, having attended local elementary and high schools in his native home of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He received a B.A. degree in Sociology, graduating Cum Laude, in the top 10% of his class, from Johnson C. Smith University in 1961. He received a M.S.W. degree from Atlanta School of Social Work in 1963. Fair has served as an adjunct professor at the Atlanta University School of Social Work, Bethune Cookman College, Florida International University, and the National Urban League’s Whitney M. Young, Jr. Center for Urban Leadership. Fair’s published works include articles in the Miami Herald, Miami Magazine, and Tropic Magazine. He has been a host of both radio and television programs. As an analyst on some of the pressing issues of the day, he has been interviewed by 60 Minutes, Tom Brokaw Show, Ebony Magazine, and National Geographic. Fair was selected “Icon of the Month” by Florida Trend Magazine, the magazine of Florida business, September 2006.
Fair has met with four different Presidents of the United States, relative to Issues of Concern to Black Americans. He was appointed by former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, to the United State’s Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs, where his responsibilities included visiting American embassies in Egypt, Oman and the United Kingdom to promote cultural diplomacy. He served on the United States People to People Ambassadors Program and traveled to Cuba to discuss issues related to child welfare and education.
In 2010, he was appointed by President Barak Obama to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships-Miami Regional Selection Panel, reappointed in 2011. Fair’s 200, plus, service and recognition awards include: Family Christian Association of America (FCAA) Presidential Excalibur Award; The Greater Miami Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews Community Service Award, 1995; Phillip Morris Companies, Inc. Community Service Award, 1992; The National Network for Social Work Managers, Inc., 1989 Award; Exemplar Award for Exemplary Leadership as a Change Agent, Coalition Builder, Creative Activist Award; and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Award. He is also listed in “Who’s Who Among Black Americans.” ; State of Florida’s Outstanding Citizen Award; National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships (NCCED), State of Florida 2003; Whitney M. Young, Jr. National Urban League :Living Legend Award 2007, Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church Outstanding Service Award; Johnson C. Smith University Distinguished Alumnus Award, May 2007; Florida’s Champion for Children Award, Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Florida Department of Education; 2011 National State Boards of Education (NASBE) Distinguished Service Award to Public Education; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Social Justice and Human Rights Award, April 2011. Fair is co-founder with former Florida State Governor Jeb Bush, of the Liberty City Charter School; the first charter school organized in the State of Florida.
