Charles H. DeBow III

Mr. Charles H. DeBow, III is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The National Black Chamber of Commerce® (NBCC). Over the past 20 years he has gained extensive experience working in every  department of the NBCC. Joining the team in November of 1999 as  the liaison to the NBCC Global Federation of Chambers in  North/Central/South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Africa.  This began the NBCC’s evolution as a global advocate on behalf of  Black businesses. The National Black Chamber of Commerce® is  dedicated to economically empowering, sustaining African American  communities through entrepreneurship, capitalistic activity within  the United States, and via interaction with the Black Diaspora. 

Mr. DeBow has focused work on the unconventional challenges  confronting African American small businesses, advocacy, and  opportunities, along with the operational challenges of non-profit  organizations. 

Charles H. DeBow, III is the older brother of NBCC CO-Founder Kay DeBow Alford, and brother-in-law of  CO-Founder Harry C. Alford. Charles H. DeBow is a name in military history. As the grandson of  Charles DeBow, a Buffalo Soldier, and the son of Charles H. DeBow, Jr, a graduate of the first training class  of 1942, from the Tuskegee Army Airfield, certifying him as an original Tuskegee Airman. Mr. DeBow is a  graduate of Indiana University’s Kelly School of Business. He has spent over 13 years in various capacities  with CBS Records and 10 years as a marketing consultant developing marketing campaigns for clients such  as Michael Jackson, Prince, Janet Jackson, Sade, Earth, Wind & Fire, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Luther  Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, and others. The music industry experience provided a foundation for a  legacy based on consumer marketing. 

In 2025, The National Black Chamber of Commerce® will celebrate its 33rd year of service to Black  communities. The passing of our founders finds us in deep retrospection of who we are, what kind of  organization we have become, who are the people we serve, how we conduct business, and the  incumbency of legacy. The entire leadership team of the NBCC commits to complete dedication to  maintaining the impeccable standards we inherited. 

Today the NBCC is rededicating our core values to developing solutions supporting commerce in the post  Covid Economic Crisis for Black Communities. We strive for entrepreneurial diversity with contracting,  infrastructure development, ITC, housing, energy, agri-business, cannabis, manufacturing, and natural  resources with emphasis on socially responsible and inclusive practices globally.