PUBLIC ALLIES MILWAUKEE

Every single person has the potential to become a leader, motivate and inspire movements. Everyone has an opportunity to take a seat at the table. That’s the message behind the tagline for Public Allies, “everyone leads.”

Ashley Lee imagines a freer community where her nieces and nephew can thrive in Milwaukee, a city she loves. “I’ve always been from 53216,” she says.

Today, Lee is the executive director of Public Allies Milwaukee, a social-justice organization focused on creating positive community change and encouraging young leaders. She’s already making a splash: last spring, Lee received the Governor’s Service Award for AmeriCorps Alumni of the Year, as well as the UW–Madison Nelson Institute’s Rising Alumni Award.

Public Allies Milwaukee Alum State Rep. David Crowley won his race for Milwaukee County Executive by 1,039 votes. Crowley, who has represented the 17th Assembly District since 2017, is a two-time graduate of Public Allies and will become the first African American to serve as County Executive upon taking office in May.

Amid the backdrop of a statewide Safer At Home order to protect against the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wisconsin held an election that included the state’s Presidential Primary and a State Supreme Court race. Many Wisconsin residents were left with a stark choice: Venture out to cast their votes while risking exposure to COVID-19 or forego their Constitutional right to vote. Not content with community members being forced to make that decision, Pubic Allies Milwaukee’s Executive Director Ashley Lee and Program Manager Shavonda Sisson stepped into action coordinating an effort to collect ballots from people who felt afraid to leave their homes or were unclear on where to take their ballots.

Public Allies Milwaukee Program Managers Shavonda Sisson and Anthony Espinoza, along with Public Allies Milwaukee Member Elle Hill, visited Live at Noon on TMJ4 to discuss the 10-Month Apprenticeship Program.

What does your morning routine look like? The question seems innocuous, but it can reveal a lot about a person and their self-care. It was the question that Shavonda Sisson, the program manager and director at Public Allies, posed to the group gathered in the Sherman Phoenix, 3536 W. Fond Du Lac Ave.

An annual event aimed at bringing people together was held on Thursday across the Milwaukee area. On the Table MKE encourages people to connect with others, share ideas and take action to better the community.

AmeriCorps-affiliated programs in the Milwaukee area will receive more than $9 million in new grant funding. The funding will support the work of 789 AmeriCorps members in the Milwaukee area.

Darrin Madison, a 20-year-old AmeriCorps Ally and an aspiring environmental lawyer in Milwaukee, is determined to get a college degree. But he already knows firsthand that obtaining it won’t come without challenges.

One of the great things about working at the Public Policy Institute is being able to incorporate local members of Public Allies into our workplace. Public Allies helps to train and place diverse up-and-coming leaders in local nonprofits so they can fulfill their mission to help others and create lasting change in our communities. This year we’ve had the pleasure to welcome Public Ally Amanda Clark, who devotes most of her time to the 53206 Drug-Free Communities Project but is also willing to jump in and help when needed.

We at Ex Fabula have had an awesome year with Sam Woods, our Season 10 Community Connector through Public Allies, an Americorps program. Sam has done an amazing job working with our volunteers and analyzing data in hopes to bring Ex Fabula to higher levels. We bid you a bittersweet sayonara as you go about your ventures in the world. We know that you will remain a part of the Ex Fabula family for all the years to go. Enter Michaela Lacy, our new Public Ally!