Ms. Solomon received a Recognition Award from the City of Birmingham for her civic contributions to women's empowerment in 2021.
BIRMINGHAM, AL, August 23, 2023 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kelli Clarke Solomon has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Ms. Solomon has been influential as the chief operating officer and executive vice president of the Birmingham Urban League since 2017. As a distinguished nonprofit executive, she is responsible for the agency's general operations to ensure both effectiveness and efficiency. She also manages various aspects of human resources regarding staffing, oversees the finance team, and manages community events and fundraising initiatives. Over the past six years, Ms. Solomon has successfully grown her team from just five employees as a $2 million agency to approximately 40 employees as a $30 million agency.
Among a myriad of programs, the Birmingham Urban League offers rental and utility assistance, workforce development, virtual tutoring, and Save and Our Sons, a unique program that focuses on assisting economically-disadvantaged African American in their pursuit of acquiring jobs and earning livable wages. More recently, the League also began offering COVID-19 support. At the height of the pandemic, Ms. Solomon significantly impacted the community by keeping the doors open and providing food, vaccinations, and health information to the public. Looking toward the future, she aims to remain in the nonprofit sector and envisions continued growth by expanding her agency into other major cities throughout Alabama.
Before working for the Birmingham Urban League Inc., Ms. Solomon was involved in local government for the City of Birmingham as the director between 2016 and 2017 and as the executive assistant to the mayor from 2010 to 2016. She also served as the office manager and chief of staff for the Jefferson County Commission between 2007 and 2010. During an earlier stage of her career, Ms. Solomon was a mortgage loan processor and loan originator for Clarke Company Mortgage and a grants coordinator for New Hope Baptist Church.
As a prominent member of her community, Ms. Solomon has been involved in many philanthropic, charitable, and civic causes. She notably developed a women's empowerment luncheon in 2020 during the pandemic. After one year of strictly virtual meetings, she expanded into hosting two in-person luncheons focused on women's impact on society. The group also focuses on ways women can be progressive and impactful in the workspace and various aspects of female entrepreneurship. Ms. Solomon has also served as a board member for the New Hope Christian School and as a committee member for the Birmingham Housing Authority. She has volunteered through her church, feeding the homeless and providing resources to the needy, and with Helpmate Ministries for Women, a nonprofit organization her mother operates. Apart from her volunteer efforts, Ms. Solomon is active as a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Momentum Leaders in Alabama.
Ms. Solomon graduated from the University of Montevallo in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts in mass communication and media studies. She has also completed several leadership training courses, including Momentum, a nine-month executive leadership program in Alabama that focuses on excelling and giving executive women the resources necessary to be present in the workspace. Ms. Solomon remains a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.
Recognizing her work ethic, Ms. Solomon received a Recognition Award from the City of Birmingham for her civic contributions to women's empowerment in 2021. Among other honors, she was featured in a 2022 article in the Birmingham Times. Ms. Solomon attributes her success to her faith and loyalty to the nonprofit sector. She also notes the Christian family values she received from her parents, both preachers while she was coming of age. Additionally, Ms. Solomon is constantly inspired by her two sons.
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