Michael McMillan

President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis

Michael P. McMillan is the President and CEO of the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis, Inc., a nonprofit organization that has been providing social services to the metropolitan St. Louis community since 1918. The St. Louis Urban League is the largest affiliate of the NUL movement headquartered in New York City. The Urban League’s mission is “to assist African Americans and others throughout the region in securing economic self-reliance, social equality and civil rights.” Each year, the Urban League serves more than 100,000 residents with economic opportunity, educational excellence, community empowerment, civil rights and advocacy programs. As an advocate for social and economic parity, McMillan speaks on behalf of Urban League constituents.

In response to the crisis in Ferguson, McMillan created the Save Our Sons program in St. Louis County to help over 850 African-American men find jobs and hosted the Urban League’s largest job fair in its history at St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley with over 5,000 participants. He has also charted the building of the Urban League Community Empowerment Center of Ferguson on the site of a convenience store that was burned down during the crisis. Opened in 2017, the Ferguson Community Empowerment Center houses the Save Our Sons program along with social service partners: The Salvation Army, Midland Division; the University of Missouri Extension and the Lutheran Hope Center. In July 2017, McMillan and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis hosted the largest National Urban League Conference in history with nearly 25,000 in attendance.

McMillan has received hundreds of awards and commendations from various organizations and was recently inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame as its youngest and as one of the Ebony Power 100 Most Influential African Americans in the United States. Additionally, he is the recipient of the 2013 Trumpet Award for Community Service; the Whitney M. Young and the John Mack Leadership Awards from the National Urban League; Chairman’s Award presented by the St. Louis Minority Supplier Development Council; a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Montford Point Marines and for the Salute to Women in Leadership Awards program.

McMillan is a member of Boards of Directors of the following companies and organizations: The St. Louis Zoological Commission, Regions Bank Community Development Corporation in Birmingham, Alabama, Heat Up St. Louis, Inc. (Cool Down St. Louis), The St. Louis Community Foundation, The DESE Task Force, The Muny, Greater St. Louis Area Council – Boy Scouts of America and the Workforce Investment Board of St. Louis County.

Michael P. McMillan is a graduate of Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in African American Studies and a minor in Political Science with an emphasis in Finance. Additionally, McMillan is an Eisenhower Fellow, American Council of Young Political Leaders Alumnus and member of Eta Boule Chapter of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc., 100 Black Men of Metropolitan St. Louis and St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church. He was recently named the 2020 Person of the Year by The St. Louis American Newspaper.