Author Profile

Judson W. Robinson III became the President and CEO of the Houston Area Urban League, Inc. in January 2008.  Agency programs and services include youth education, health, employment preparation and placement, homeownership counseling, small business assistance, and civic advocacy. Robinson oversees the operations and budget, while setting the vision for the Houston Area Urban League and its staff. 

Prior to joining the agency, Robinson served as Co-Deputy Commissioner for former Harris County Commissioner Sylvia R. Garcia, managing the operations of seven departments and 300 employees in multiple locations throughout East Harris County.

Before joining Commissioner Garcia’s office, Judson was Vice President of Business Development for Professional Service Industries Houston, a national engineering firm, Like his grandfather and father before him, he also practiced real estate. In 1991, Robinson continued to follow in the footsteps of his father, Judson Robinson Jr. (who was the first African American elected to the Houston City Council), when he was elected to the City Council in 1991, serving three terms until 1997.

While serving on the city council, Robinson’s leadership style earned him the title of Vice Mayor Pro Tem. He chaired four council committees and served on six others. Robinson chaired and founded the city’s first ever Committee on Business and Tourism, which found ways to revitalize Houston’s Downtown Convention area and launched “Midtown,” Houston’s first new downtown residential neighborhood in 50 years. He also chaired the Redevelopment and Revitalization Committee, which is responsible for the disbursement and monitoring of federal dollars for the betterment of under-resourced neighborhoods.  Under his leadership, the Hilton Americas Convention Center Hotel project was awarded, and the Astros downtown ball park was voter-approved and constructed, launching downtown and midtown’s resurgence in Houston.  Both these committees were pivotal in changing the trajectory of Houston’s future.  The increased number of low-income, affordable housing units and downtown and midtown redevelopment initiated under his leadership continues to expand in the 20 years since he left elected office.

Robinson continues to work with nonprofit organizations that support sustainability for people and their businesses.  He is active with the American Leadership Forum (ALF), the Menninger Clinic, the Greater Houston Partnership, Uptown Redevelopment Authority, and is the founder of the HAUCDC, a developer of affordable housing in the Greater Houston Area.  Additionally, Robinson served as the co-chair of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s transition team for Economic Opportunity, and currently works with the Executive Committee for Early Matters, an organization focused on improving quality pre-K access to children across Texas.

Robinson is a licensed realtor. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from Fisk University in Business Management, is an alumnus of the American College of Corporate Directors and Goldman Sachs 10k Program, and is a fellow of the American Leadership Forum.