Johnathan Holifield
Board of Directors
Johnathan Holifield
Mr. Holifield is president and CEO of Urban League of Greater Cleveland. In this role, he leads development and implementation of an agenda to empower Clevelanders to contribute their full measure and potential to increase societal inclusion, educational competitiveness and economic prosperity.
Prior to joining Urban League, Mr. Holifield was president and CEO of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy where he led management and restoration of a historic urban parks system to advance green-based community revitalization.
The former WVU football standout was founding executive director of CincyTechUSA and VP of the Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce, where he led regional technology-based economic development projects, programs and initiatives. Under his leadership, CincyTechUSA became the leading regional advocate for technology-based economic development, collaboratively winning $40+ million of grant funding; raising $40+ million to spark creation of a $250 million regional network of early-stage capital; and establishing Cincinnati’s first 21st Century public high schools focused on information, design and health technologies. Additionally, Mr. Holifield was a civil litigation attorney with the Manley, Burke & Lipton firm in Cincinnati and an Assistant Civil Prosecutor with the Hamilton County, Ohio Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. He also was a member of the National Football League’s Cincinnati Bengals.
Mr. Holifield received Ohio gubernatorial appointments to the Midwest Governors’ Association Investments for the Knowledge-based Economy project, serving as co-chairman of the Increasing Research Capacity and Accelerating Commercialization team, and to the Ohio House and Senate Joint Legislative Commission on High-Tech Business, during which he was a key driver of innovative economic growth public policy. He has written numerous articles for newspapers, as well as professional and trade publications.
Mr. Holifield holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from West Virginia University. As a student, he was elected to the Board of Governors, won three varsity letters for football (serving as team captain), and was named a member of Mountain Honorary. Mr. Holifield holds a master’s degree in educational foundations from the University of Cincinnati College of Education and a juris doctor degree from University of Cincinnati College of Law. Additionally, Mr. Holifield is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute.
Mr. Holifield has served on several governing and advisory boards, including vice chairman of The Greater Cincinnati Foundation, VP of the Cincinnati NAACP, Cincinnati State Foundation, The Bankers Club, and the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute, to name a few. He is a member of the City of Cleveland/Cuyahoga County Workforce Investment Board, the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Visiting Committee, Tau Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and life member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
Mr. Holifield received WVU’s 2004 Distinguished Alumnus award from the Eberly College of Arts & Sciences and was named to 21 to Watch in the 21st Century by The Cincinnati Enquirer. He also received Cincinnati Public Schools’ Setting the Standard Award, Black Data Processing Associates President’s Award and Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 Award.