Phyllis Dickerson
Business & Political Strategist Extraordinaire | Class of 2024-NEW
Phyllis Dickerson is the CEO of the African American Mayors Association (AAMA), the only organization exclusively representing over five hundred African American mayors across the United States, works to empower local leaders for the benefit of their citizens. A C-suite executive, municipal government strategist, and authority on government administration, she brings over 20 years of experience advising mayors, U.S. Senators, members of Congress, and the White House, transforming policy into action. Her work is critical to mayors in thirty states. The AAMA advocates for public policies that enhance the vitality of cities, while providing member mayors with leadership and management tools to share best practices related to municipal governance and operational excellence. Dickerson provides crucial leadership to AAMA staff, serves as the organization’s chief spokesperson, and manages a multimillion-dollar budget and fundraising strategy, all aimed at meeting the diverse needs of the association’s members. She also oversees a 17-member board of mayors, whom she nominates to the membership for confirmation, and leverages their influence to drive public policy work at the federal level. Additionally, Dickerson represents AAMA in the Corporate Business Council, which includes numerous Fortune 500 companies engaged in municipal business. Her prior leadership experience includes serving as Lead Advance for both the Clinton and Obama administrations and as Regional Mayoral Director for Mike Bloomberg’s 2020 Presidential Campaign.
Notably, she became the first woman and first Black person appointed as Chief of Staff to the Mayor of Little Rock, Arkansas. During her tenure, she was responsible for planning the historic Little Rock Central High School Desegregation 50th Anniversary. Dickerson has appeared as a spokesperson on national and international platforms, including The Roland Martin Show, Rolling Out, The Bakari Sellers Podcast, COP27 in Egypt, INC2 in Paris, and INC3 in Nairobi. She was honored as Public Employee of the Year by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators and named one of the 50 PowerWomen in the U.S. by the U.S. Black Chamber. Dickerson’s collaborative efforts extend to partnering with the Fund II Foundation and Clinton Foundation, Oprah Winfrey on the Purple Circle rollout, and joining the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to create the Economic Mobility Leadership Institute. This foundation focused on fostering Black generational wealth. In addition to her role at AAMA, Dickerson is the CEO & President of Red Ink, LLC, which provides business development and government relations services. Throughout her career, she has served on the boards of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), the Delta Research & Educational Foundation (DREF), and the Cross World Africa Foundation. Dickerson is a proud member of the Little Rock Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is a staunch advocate for children with Sickle Cell Anemia Disease. She holds a Master of Arts degree in Human Resource Development from Webster University and a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Business Management from the University of Central Arkansas. She currently resides in both Washington, D.C., and Little Rock, AR.