Eric Westbrook spent seven years of his career at the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) prior to taking on his role with the City as the Director for the Mayor’s Office of Black Male Engagement. At CCP, Eric worked to improve graduation and retention rates for male students of color. He coordinated recruitment efforts for the Center for Male Engagement, partnering with dozens of schools, community-based organizations, businesses, and nonprofit agencies. With nearly 20 years of experience in social service, he understands the need to bridge individuals and communities to available resources.

Now that he’s had a chance to settle into his new office, we stopped by to get to know Eric.

Welcome to City government, Eric! You’ve been on the job for about a month now. How has it been? Any favorite moments so far?

It’s been awesome—really fast paced! I’ve spent a lot of time making introductions, getting connected to the people and organizations I’ll be working with. It has been great to see the passion people in the Office of Public Engagement have  for their work and their commitment to the Mayor’s goals.

I don’t know if I’d consider it my favorite moment, but the most notable moment I’ve had in the past few weeks is getting locked out of my own office. Luckily, my colleagues are baring with me as I get settled.

You have a strong background in social service, and spent the last seven years in education at Community College of Philadelphia. How do you think your experience will help you in your new role?

Working in social  and direct service allowed me to experience the gaps that exist in our city—spaces where people are looked over and resources don’t reach those who need them most. Being in those spaces helps you stay connected to the people behind the numbers, who should benefit from the system, but often get disconnected. It helps me maintain a sense of urgency, to remember that in many cases it truly can be a matter of life and death for the person or people involved.

Having spent so many years imparting my pearls of wisdom on students at the Community College, I see all of their races looking back at me now. I know that I have to live up to all advice I was preaching to them.

What experiences, personal or professional, led you to focus your work specifically on men of color?

Being a black man myself, and looking back on the fortunate circumstances I was afforded growing up, I’m often reminded that many of my peers did not have those same opportunities. So, I am constantly looking for opportunities to serve and be aware of others around me.

Living in a city where so much is happening, it sometimes feels like it is happening without us. I wanted to be part of the solution, to ensure that black men and boys had a seat at the table for all of the decisions being made and progress being experienced.

When I was just 11-years old, I experienced a great loss when my father went into a coma and later passed away. I was fortunate enough to have other men who stepped up and were there for me—now I know I need to do that for other young men.

As the new Director for the Office of Black Male Engagement, how do you view your role in the administration and in the community?

I’m here to serve as a liaison between the administration and the community—to be their voice, and to help close the opportunity gap. This Office is supposed to make sure black men and boys are getting the resources they need and deserve, and I take that job very seriously.

What will be your priorities for your first year in this position?

A large part of my focus will be on education and workforce development, and ensuring that those efforts are aligned with the strategies laid out by the City’s Office of Violence Prevention. I want to target resources to communities that have been identified as hotspots by the Office of Violence Prevention so that we can help drive down violence from many different angles. I’m determined to get away from conversations and move toward action.

I also want to push forward with filling the open commissioner positions. We have a great team of men who are eager to be part of the work. We’re in the process of reviewing applications now. I’m looking forward to adding some younger voices to the mix and engaging more returning citizens on the Mayor’s Commission on African American Males.

I can’t forget to highlight the fact that there are many black men and boys already doing the work in their communities, and I look forward to partnering with them and elevating their work as well. I want to connect with as many of them as possible.

Do you have any longer-term goals for the Office?

My dream would be to do an annual event for black men and boys that is all about connecting to them resources and celebrating us. I’d love to engage some notable local figures to create a strong sense of unity among black men. We can see Brotherly Love restored in this city, and it can be driven by black men and boys.

The Office of Black Male Engagement is housed within the Office of Public Engagement. How do you see yourself and OBME working with the other Offices and Commissions that are part of the Office of Public Engagement?

As black men and boys do better, the whole city does better. I’m excited to partner with Office of Engagement for Women and the Office of Youth Engagement to impact the whole city. By working together, we can not expose men and boys to the resources they need, while also showing other groups the beauty and potential of black men and boys. What I love about our Office (the Office of Public Engagement) is that you can literally hear everyone’s ideas being tossed around—being physically close to one another allows us to partner more naturally.

What first brought you to Philadelphia?

I first came here from Washington state in 2002. I moved to Philadelphia to attend Temple, and while I was there I met my future wife. After graduating in 2006, we decided to stay in Philly, and now we’re raising our 3-year old daughter Arya here.

What are your three favorite places in Philly?

It depends. I really love shopping, so Walnut Street is always a go-to for me. I’m a people person, so anywhere where I can engage new people is exciting.

I’ve been here a while, but I’m still a tourist. I enjoy seeing our city through different vantage points—just walking around and taking it all in. One day,  really want to just get a hotel room and spend the whole day acting like a tourist. We take things for granted when we’re here full-time, but I’m learning to appreciate it more.