Sadiqa N. Reynolds, Esq.
Sadiqa N. Reynolds, Esq. is the President and CEO of the Louisville Urban League. Her appointment made her the first woman to hold this title in the affiliate’s 95-year history. She has previously served as Chief for Community Building in the Office of the Mayor, where she oversaw approximately 1500 employees. Sadiqa serves on several boards, including Fund for the Arts, the Louisville Chamber, WAVE3 Editorial Board, WDRD Advisory Board and is a Director for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
She has served as District Judge for the 30th Judicial Court. She was also the first African-American woman to clerk for the Kentucky Supreme Court, when she served as Chief Law Clerk for the late Chief Justice Robert F. Stephens. Her life as a public servant has also included being the first African American to serve as the Inspector General for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
Prior to entering the public sector, Sadiqa owned and managed a private legal practice for many years. Her practice included criminal litigation, employment law, death penalty litigation and serving as Guardian Ad Litem for abused, neglected and dependent children, as well as arguing successfully before the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She has also been recognized by the Louisville Bar Association for providing pro bono hours to represent domestic violence victims and other disadvantaged citizens.
Sadiqa earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Louisville and her law degree from the University of Kentucky. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and Bates Memorial Baptist Church.
She has worked to identify funding for programming that provides opportunities for young people in Louisville and spearheaded the move to create a liaison between the public school system and LMPD to assist children exposed to domestic violence. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and regularly works and speaks in order to reduce the stigma around mental health. She is also a proponent for Restorative Justice and participated in the Face It Movement to end child abuse. Under her leadership, the Louisville Urban League has focused on jobs, justice, education, health and housing. Those who know her know that she is tenacious and dedicated to making a positive impact in the world.
Sadiqa regularly serves as a keynote speaker, and through her community work, has been recognized as a Business First Enterprising Woman to Watch and a Woman of Influence. She has been honored with a Tower Award, a Torch of Wisdom and been named a Daughter of Greatness by the Ali Center. Most recently, she received the Fannie Lou Hamer award for her commitment to justice and she was recognized as one of BizWomen’s: The Business Journal top 100 women to watch nationally in 2016. She has been featured on public radio, television and numerous print media outlets, including the NY Times. She loves to read, travel and has two beautiful daughters Sydney and Wynter, ages 11 and 10.