By Kevin Aldridge
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Stanley

Donna Jones Stanley, the newly hired president and chief executive officer of the Urban League of Greater Cincinnati, knows that her predecessor Sheila Adams will be "a tough act to follow."

But she doesn't mind.

"I am really happy about that," Stanley said in a phone interview from Baltimore. "Nothing's worse than coming into an organization that is in shambles. The work that Sheila has done gives me an opportunity to have a wonderful springboard to do everything I can to make (the Urban League) better."Her job begins Nov. 3.

DONNA JONES STANLEY

Age: 47 Education: Bachelor's degree in social work from Murray State University; MBA in public administration from the University of Baltimore; studying for doctorate in public administration. Career: She has been executive director of the Baltimore-based Associated Black Charities for the past 141/2 years. Prior to that she worked for five years with the United Way of Central Maryland. Family: Divorced. She has a daughter, Stephanie, and two grandchildren.

As executive director of Associated Black Charities (ABC), a Maryland-based nonprofit that provides grants for community programs, Stanley tripled the operating budget from $700,000 to $2.25 million.

"I have seen Associated Black Charities go from a begging group of blacks from the United Way to probably one of the most significant black organizations in America," said Marion Bascom, a founding member and board chairman of the nonprofit group. "

Bascom said Stanley created numerous programs during her tenure and forged a funding partnership with black churches in Baltimore.

Adams will retire on Dec. 31 after a 10-year stint as the local chapter's top executive. Stanley said she was well aware of the racial tensions in Cincinnati and that was a key factor in her decision to take the job.

"There isn't a situation or barrier in Cincinnati that can't be overcome,'' Stanley said. "E-mail kaldridge@enquirer.com