Changing Milwaukee’s Landscape One Class at a Time
Main Content
May 3, 2016
Written by: Sonia Summers, Rockwell Automation
Project LEAD brings together people from across our community and prepares them for leadership roles on nonprofit boards and committees, with an emphasis on recruiting participants from underrepresented board populations (women, racially and ethnically diverse, young professionals).
As I walked into my first class I was surprised to see the vast array of people who would be joining me on this new journey. During introductions, each classmate stood to describe his or her career – ranging from health care to childcare to engineering and more. Men and women, young and seasoned individuals in various shades of color gathered with one common interest: to utilize our talents to serve on a board for a non-profit organization – to use our shared experiences for good.
I’m proud to be a part of Project LEAD, especially at a time where the media has repeatedly highlighted Milwaukee as one of the most segregated cities in America. United Way has found a way to create an environment that doesn’t reflect this statistic.
As I look forward to our next session, I anticipate how much we will all learn from each other and grow as a group. We are all dedicated to changing the landscape that currently divides our city. Personally I feel the program will give me a great deal of insight into the issues in our community and will provide a springboard to help me achieve the goals I have yet to imagine.