Charles Ridley has 30 years senior management experience in community-based organizations with a focus on youth services and grass-roots organizing. Mr. Ridley is viewed as a senior community organizer who specialized in building political infrastructure for marginalized urban communities. Mr. Ridley is the chair of UNIFY Palm Beach, and the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition (WARC), two grass roots organizations which exists to “Build Power for Black People and Black Communities. UNIFY and WARC mobilizes nearly 50, 000 low propensity Black voters to the polls annually. This increase in voter capacity is forcing elected officials and others to view the Black community differently as well as embrace the UNIFY Black Agenda.

Mr. Ridley is also an expert in the field of substance abuse prevention as a result of completing the National Academy for Substance Abuse, and 13 years as the executive director of Community Crusade Against Drugs located in Miami Gardens. Additionally, as co-founder of Village Academy, a K-12 National School reform model, he leveraged over $13,000,000 in public/private support. Mr. Ridley served as Vice President of Community Programs for MADDDADS of Florida in which he established over 30 chapters state wide. Mr. Ridley also participated in the Aspen Institute Project “Voices from the Field” a collection of best practices on how to create Comprehensive Community Initiatives. He co-authored the Southwest Delray Beach Neighborhood Plan that leveraged over $60,000,000 to revitalize the most economically challenged area of Delray Beach, Florida.