Lecturers at the Jefferson Educational Society

Gary Horton is the founder and CEO of the Urban Erie Community Development Corporation (UECDC) and current President of the NAACP branch in Erie. He is a passionate advocate for building vibrant communities by helping people to remove barriers to self-sufficiency. Horton is a co-founder of the Minority Community Investment Coalition as well as the neighborhood improvement group Eastside Grassroots Coalition. He also currently serves on the Erie Neighborhood Growth Partnership board and the Governor’s Advisory Board for Environmental Justice. Since graduating from Cheyney University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a minor in Political Science, Horton has given more than 30 years to public service. In addition to holding positions in the mayor’s office, the governor’s office, and the federal Department of Health Education and Welfare, he also was elected to two terms as a School Board Director.