I Am Empowered - I am the National Urban League

Cara McKinley serves as the Senior Director of Operations and Chief of Staff for the National Urban League Policy Institute, with primary responsibility for directing and implementing the operations and programming of the National Urban League's Policy Institute, including the Annual Legislative Policy Conference and logistics related to publication of the State of Black America. In addition to this, Ms. McKinley provides oversight of the staff under the direction of the Executive Director.

She is the former office manager/legislative policy aide to U.S. Representative Artur Davis (AL-07). In that capacity, she managed the operations of the Congressman’s DC and District offices, as well as serving as one of his legislative policy aides focusing on the issues of small business, foreign affairs, arts and humanities, environment, telecommunications, and housing. Prior to working for Congressman Davis in May 2009, she was an External Relations and Energy/National Security research intern at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC. 

Ms. McKinley holds degrees in both Sociology and Ethnic Studies from the University of Colorado at Boulder where she also served as Director of Diversity Affairs for the student union and was a member of the NCAA Div I Track and Field team.

A native of Colorado, Ms. McKinley is an avid athlete, a member of the National Human Services Assembly Emerging Leaders Council, the National Urban League’s Emerging Leaders Council, and a member of the young non-profit professional’s network in DC. She is also an active member of the Thursday Network, an auxiliary of the Greater Washington Urban League.