When Logan Herring was invited onto the board of Kingswood Community Center in late 2015, he didn’t know that shortly thereafter he would be asked to take over the organization that is part of The WRK Group. He was tasked with the audacious goal of turning around a 70-year-old organization with seven days of cash on hand. Since then, Herring has stabilized Kingswood Community Center while launching two new nonprofits, overseeing all three under the umbrella of The WRK Group.
The mission of The WRK Group is to empower the community to reach its full potential by eliminating the barriers of structural racism and revolutionizing teen engagement. The organization is comprised of the Kingswood Community Center, REACH Riverside, and The Warehouse. The WRK Group was created to accelerate the redevelopment of the Riverside community and surrounding areas of northeast Wilmington.
Under Herring’s leadership, today, the organization is leading a $600 million redevelopment effort, has over $64 million in assets, and is made up of 75 employees who deploy over $12 million in annual revenue to create opportunities that empower the residents of Riverside to thrive.
Herring’s journey as a community leader was influenced by his grandfather, Rev. Otis Herring who was the premier pastor in town while providing everything from affordable and senior housing to drug and alcohol rehabilitation services to daycare centers, all while being visually blind.
Logan Herring followed in his grandfather’s footsteps by working as a summer camp counselor at his local Boys & Girls Club when he was 14. “At first, I wanted to work to relieve the financial burden of my mother, who raised me with the help of my older brother, not knowing that this would be the first step to a lifelong journey of service,” said Herring.
He continued his journey after college by creating a nonprofit mentoring program – Delaware Elite. “The seeds planted through the work of Delaware Elite are now beginning to bloom as many of the young men and supporters are still beside Logan as he continues his life work,” said his staff.
Herring said the most important risk he took was leaving a stable job, and joining Kingswood Community Center, in 2016. “The historical significance of Kingswood meant too much to the community to allow it to close without giving it a fighting chance,” he said.
He gave it a fighting chance and then some with growth in both facilities and revenue. His efforts have earned Herring recognition as a Black History Month honoree, a Service Award from the NAACP, and was named the most impactful leader in the first state by the Delaware Business Times.
If Herring could give his younger self a piece of advice, it would be to embrace what is difficult. “Never get discouraged by your current circumstances because whatever you are going through at the moment is happening to teach you a lesson, or prepare you for something later in life,” he said.
