THE LATEST: David Oguamanam has been named the Minneapolis Urban League's interim president and CEO, the nonprofit said Monday.

Oguamanam will replace Clarence Hightower, who resigned last month to become executive director of the St. Paul-based Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington counties.

A search is under way for a permanent leader.

HIS BACKGROUND: Oguamanam has been with the organization since 1997 and has spent the last three years as its program services director.

A lawyer by trade, he's also credited with helping the Urban League and housing advocacy experts ACORN create the Sustainable Homeownership and Anti-Foreclosure Response Center, which provides foreclosure prevention and mortgage counseling for residents.

Working on a new three-year strategic initiative, the Urban League provides access to education, jobs, housing and health care for about 20,000 people of color annually throughout the city.

TERRY COLLINS