Legacy & Mentorship

Arthur B. Shanks II

Visionary Leader, Builder of Pathways, Champion for Community

The Wade Group honors the life and legacy of Arthur B. Shanks II, longtime Executive Director of the Cypress Mandela Training Center (CMTC), whose passing on December 29, 2019 marked the loss of one of the Bay Area’s most consequential workforce development leaders and community advocates.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Arthur Shanks devoted his entire professional life to the improvement, rehabilitation, and empowerment of his native city and communities like it across the nation. His work was never abstract. It was practical, structural, and deeply human—focused on creating real pathways to dignity, economic stability, and long-term opportunity for those most often excluded from them.

Following the collapse of Interstate 880 during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, West Oakland faced not only physical devastation but renewed questions of environmental justice, access, and economic inclusion. It was in this moment that Arthur Shanks helped shape a different future. CMTC emerged as a premier pre-apprenticeship training institution, ensuring that local residents were not only present in the rebuilding of their community, but fully participating in the high-paying, skilled construction jobs that followed.

Arthur’s leadership transformed CMTC into a nationally recognized model. He was widely regarded as the “Godfather” of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Brownfields Job Training Program, piloting the first program of its kind and setting a standard replicated across the country. Under his direction, CMTC partnered with institutions such as the Peralta Community College District, allowing students to earn college credit while completing pre-apprenticeship training—bridging education, labor, and long-term career mobility.

Over the course of his tenure, Arthur secured more than $11 million in public and private funding, ensuring CMTC programs remained tuition-free. He facilitated the graduation of over 1,500 participants, with approximately 76% placed into employment or registered apprenticeship pathways. His work extended across construction, environmental remediation, transportation, utilities, and green infrastructure—long before “green jobs” became a national priority.

Arthur’s influence reached the federal level as well. Appointed by U.S. Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, he served three consecutive terms on the Federal Advisory Committee on Registered Apprenticeship during the Clinton Administration, helping shape national workforce policy with the same clarity and integrity he brought to local work.

Before becoming an educator and executive leader, Arthur was himself a builder—working as a foreman and superintendent on high-rise projects throughout the Bay Area. He later became a training coordinator for the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC) and a professor at Laney and Chabot Colleges. He held a lifetime California Community College teaching credential and was nationally certified as a Master Trainer in Lead Abatement, Hazardous Materials Removal, CPR, and First Aid.

Yet beyond titles and credentials, Arthur Shanks was known for something rarer: unwavering belief in people. He advocated tirelessly for the underserved, the unemployed, returning citizens, and young people seeking a second chance—grounded in the conviction that access to meaningful work reduces violence, restores hope, and rebuilds communities from the inside out.

Above all, Arthur was a devoted husband, father, brother, son, and friend. His leadership was principled, his vision expansive, and his impact enduring.

Arthur Shanks ran a good race, fought the good fight, and leaves behind a legacy built not only in structures and programs—but in lives changed, careers launched, and communities strengthened.

The Wade Group honors his memory and the path he helped pave.