Fellows Spotlight
Jerry McPherson
(Phoenix, 2022)
Executive Director
Governor’s Office of African-American Affairs
Jerry McPherson has lived what he describes as “many lives.” Soldier, entrepreneur, corporate auditor, nonprofit leader, and now state agency executive, his career has taken a few unexpected turns. Each has shaped how he approaches leadership and public service.
Born and raised in the Bronx, New York, to a Puerto Rican mother and Black father, Jerry credits his upbringing with teaching him grit, ingenuity, and an appreciation for different cultures and perspectives. Jerry earned an accounting degree from Virginia State University and served in the Army National Guard. After pursuing several business ventures in Atlanta, he became a CPA and moved to Phoenix to work for Avnet.
It was in Arizona that Jerry found his calling in public service. His involvement with the Greater Phoenix Urban League Young Professionals and a conversation with then-President George Dean introduced him to the possibility of making community service his career.
Today, as executive director of the Governor’s Office of African-American Affairs, Jerry works to connect Arizona’s African American communities with government and ensure their perspectives are represented in public policy discussions. His office addresses issues ranging from education and economic development to housing, health, and justice.
For Jerry, making government more accessible means creating opportunities for residents to engage directly with decision-makers and encouraging more people to pursue positions on public boards and commissions. He believes personal experience is a valuable form of expertise that deserves a place in policy conversations.
The Flinn-Brown Fellows Network has helped Jerry build relationships outside the communities and organizations where much of his career has been focused. Those connections have introduced him to new perspectives and opportunities to serve. One example is his involvement on the board of Read Better Be Better, where a connection with another Fellow led to an opportunity to support children’s literacy.
“The Network has expanded both who I know and how I see Arizona,” said Jerry. “Those relationships help me ask better questions, understand different experiences, and find common ground.”
Looking ahead, he sees opportunities to strengthen Arizona’s civic health by engaging young people earlier and giving them the skills and confidence to participate in public life. He would like to see debate and logical reasoning taught in schools, with students learning to research issues, evaluate arguments, and consider positions they may not personally support.
Jerry’s own experiences have reinforced the importance of accountability and learning from setbacks. One of his favorite quotes, attributed to Napoleon Hill, is “Success requires no apologies, failure permits no alibis.”
It’s a philosophy that has stayed with him through the successes, failures, and changes of a varied career.
Book Recommendation
Eofessional development, and other areas worth sharing. This month’s recommendation comes from Jerry McPherson (Phoenix, 2022):
I would recommend “Notes on Being a Man” by Scott Galloway. It raises questions about purpose, responsibility, and where boys and men fit in a changing world. Strengthening our communities includes making sure that boys and men have the support, opportunities, and accountability to become people others can depend on.
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