The Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone (UMEZ) announced Thursday that the organization’s longtime President and Chief Executive Officer, Kenneth J. Knuckles, will step down in June after 15 years of service to begin his retirement.
The organization’s Board of Directors is currently conducting a national search for candidates to fill the position with the aim of selecting a new President and CEO before the end of the Spring. Under Knuckles leadership, UMEZ has provided $87 million in loans for real estate projects, $57 million in tax-exempt bonds for real estate development and $98 million in grants focused on arts, culture and workforce development.
“It has been an honor to serve as Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone’s President and CEO for 15 remarkable years, helping grow the number of jobs and enhancing cultural and economic developments in these communities has been an astounding experience,” said Knuckles. “With the support of the board and my colleagues, UMEZ has played a large role in the revitalization of Upper Manhattan and will continue to do so.”
UMEZ was designated as an urban empowerment zone under federal legislation authored by Congressman Charles B. Rangel and signed into law by President Clinton in 1994. The empowerment zone was created to assist the residents living in poverty at the time.