Education
Ph.D., University of Nevada Las Vegas
Certificate, A.B.A. Stonier Graduate School of Banking
M.B.A., University of Nevada Las Vegas
B.S., University of Nevada Las Vegas
Al Gourrier was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. Educated at Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Al holds a BA in Finance, a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA), is a graduate of ABA’s Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown University and holds a Ph.D. in Public Affairs from the University of Nevada Las Vegas, Greenspun College of Urban Affairs. Al started a banking career in 1993. In November of 2005, Al began the organization of a new State-Chartered FDIC Institution, 1st Commerce Bank, which he opened in October 2006. After a successful 19-year career, Al Gourrier left banking in January 2012 to pursue a career in academia and joined the faculty of the University of Baltimore in January 2016 as a Professor of Public Finance. In 2021, Al took over as the Director of Nonprofit Management and Social Entrepreneurship (MS Program) at the University of Baltimore, a position he still maintains today.
Dr. Gourrier's scholarship in academia focuses on Community Banking and Finance, Social Equity, and Community Development through financial and economic representation by exploring decisions and structures impacting the economic health, housing, development, entrepreneurship, and well-being of urban communities. Locally he's served on the boards of the University of Maryland Medical Center's Community Advisory Council, the Upton Community Development Corporation, US Africa Collaboration, Ignite Capital and CRA Baltimore. He currently serves on the national finance committee of the American Society for Public Administration and has served in a variety of committee assignments for the Urban Affairs Association. Dr. Gourrier is tenured at the University of Baltimore and in February of 2021, Dr. Gourrier received a four-year designation as a Fulbright Specialist Program Scholar.
Scholarship primarily focuses on Community Banking and Finance, Social Equity, and Community Development through financial and economic representation by exploring decisions and structures impacting the economic health, development, entrepreneurship, and well-being of urban communities. My research has been presented at annual conferences both domestically and Internationally, with peer reviewed publications in multiple well recognized academic book and journals highlighting a dedication to public scholarship from an applied research standpoint.
My pursuit of education has been a lifelong journey, both as a student and now as an instructor. Growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, in a family of nine, my parents emphasized education. They instilled in me early in life that education was important, that education allowed you to transcend economic challenges, and that education was the great equalizer in society. I have credited much of my personal success and opportunities to my dedication to education and have always taken great pride in helping others find what motivates them to develop and achieve their educational goals.
Much of my teaching philosophy has been shaped by my own educational and professional experiences. My early experience with educational programs like the Weeksville Young Ambassadors Program out of Brooklyn, New York, allowed me travel internationally with some of the brightest teenagers from around the country, gave me confidence, and enlightened me about the possibilities of what education could do for an individual. Both my enthusiasm for leaning and my life lessons learned also serve as a background to my philosophy.
My experiences growing up, education, professional experiences, and community service, combined now with my experiences teaching for the past decade have also all contributed to my teaching philosophy. Because I’ve had professional success, the primary goal for my teaching experience is student success. As a student, I always enjoyed professors who could translate course content into applicable examples from professional experienced. I believe students appreciate my prior professional experience, which allows me to engage with students in a different perspective. One of the most exciting things about education is the opportunity we as educators have to shape minds, to allow them to see the world differently from what they’ve experienced and to understand historical perspectives, especially in a government course. This is done through our lectures (examples), academic research, analogies, and personal experiences. In order to achieve that success, I’ve developed a set of core values that I think makes for successful teaching at the university level. My core values are Interest, Passion, Communication, Access and Standards.
Book Chapters
Gourrier, A. G. (2023). Developing A Community-Centric Model Using Multi-Sector Partnership Process For Urban Development. Information Age Publishing, Inc.. 66-88.
Refereed Journal Articles
Gourrier, A. G. (2023). A Social Innovation Approach to Urban Development in the United States. Journal of Inclusive Cities and Built Environments. 3(5), 17-26.
Gourrier, A. G. (2021). Banking the Black Community: An Analysis of Banking Among Baltimore’s Predominately Black Communities.. Public Integrity. 1-19.
Gourrier, A. G., Kellogg, L. D., Bernick, E. L., & Brekken, K. (2021). A Seat at the Table: Minority Representation and County Governing Boards. Journal of Public Management & Social Policy.
Research Report
Gourrier, A. G., & Ficenec, S. V. (2020). Exploring the Benefits Cliff in the State of Maryland. State and Local Government Review.
Gourrier, A. 53rd Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, "Institutional Engagement and Community Partnership: A Case Study on Revitalization Drivers Through Collaboration and Multi-Sector Partnership.," Urban Affairs Associaton, Vancouver, British Columbia. (2025).
Gourrier, A. 2024 National Black and Latino Economic Summit, "CRA Regulations and Local Accountability," National Minority Community Reinvestment Cooperative, Tampa, FL. (2024).
Gourrier, A., & Dunham-Howie, J. 2024 Pan African City Exposition: Building Equity and Sustainability for the Future, "Development Without Displacement," U.S. Africa Collaboration, Bowie, MD. (2024).
Gourrier, A. 52nd Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, "Exploring Alternative Urban Development Strategies: A look at urban development models from Baltimore, MD and Palermo, Italy," Urban Affairs Associastion, Manhattan, NY. (2024).
Gourrier, A. 2023 National Black and Latino Economic Summit, "CRA Investment Council: The Baltimore Model," National Minority Community Reinvestment Cooperative, Tampa, FL. (2023).
Gourrier, A. 22nd Social Equity Leadership Conference, "A Social Innovation Approach to Urban Development," Social Equity Leadership Conference, Kansas City, MO. (2023).
Gourrier, A. 51st Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, "New Ideas in Urban Development Through Social Innovation," Urban Affairs Association, Nashville, TN. (2023).
Gourrier, A. 2022 National Black and Latino Economic Summit, "Racial Economic Inclusion & The Community Reinvestment Act," National Minority Community Reinvestment Cooperative, Clearwater, Florida. (2022).
Gourrier, A. 2022 The Pan African City: Yesterday, today, and Tomorrow Symposium, "Urban Development Through Social Innovation and Multi-Sector Collaboration," U.S. Africa Collaboration, Durban, South Africa. (2022).
Gourrier, A., & Ficenec, S. 50th Annual Conference of the Urban Affairs Association, "Modeling Cost of Living and Public Benefits in Maryland's 24 County-Level Jurisdictions," Urban Affaris Association, Washington DC. (2022).
Gourrier, A. G., Best, W. G., & Howie, J. D. 2020 Black & Latino Economic Summit, "Creating A "Master Community Development Plan" for Black & Latino Neighborhoods - Targeting Increased Jobs & Affordable Housing," National Minority Community Reinvestment Co-Operative, Virtual (Zoom). (2020).
Gourrier, A., & Pratt, B. 19th Social Equity Leadership Conference, "Banking Deserts’ in the City of Baltimore," Minneapolis, MN. (2020).
Gourrier, A. 78th American Society for Public Administration, "The State of Black Banking in Baltimore City," Anaheim, CA. (2020).
"Federal Policy Impact on Entrepreneurship and Small Business Lending" (On-Going)
"Institutional Engagement and Community Partnership" (On-Going)
A case study on revitalization drivers through collaboration and multi-sector partnership.