By Kathy Gaillard
Growing up in Milwaukee, Jackie Q. Carter was primarily raised by her maternal grandmother and credits her for the sacrifices she made to raise her and her siblings. Now, the first African American director of the City of Milwaukee Port, Carter acknowledges how much those sacrifices positively impacted her life.
“My grandmother introduced us to possibilities and made sure were exposed to various options and people. For example, money was always tight so when my Spanish class planned a trip to Mexico, I didn’t even mention it to my grandmother. Somehow she found out about the trip and made a way for me to go. She raised eight children of her own, but she also sacrificed to raise me and my two siblings.
“I learned from her—she had a revolving door, with cousins, relatives and friends coming through. Growing up, we didn’t have a lot but there were people in my family and our community who nurtured the spark they saw in me,” Carter said proudly.
Not sure of a career path, Carter spent time working as a teen mentor at Rosalie Manor and for a time entertained the idea of becoming a teacher. A staff member noticed how nurturing she was and created a position for her to become Mentoring Coordinator where she helped develop and launch the nonprofit’s school-based program. Carter admits that, as a first-generation college graduate, she struggled during her first year of college until her then mentor introduced her to college graduates who helped her successfully matriculate through school.
In addition to working for nonprofit organizations for more than 20 years prior to her appointment as Port Director, Carter was the finance and administration officer for Port Milwaukee where she oversaw business operations, including financial, human resource and administrative operations. She is grateful to mentors who helped her along the way, which ultimately led to her recent appointment as Port Director.
“Sometimes it is those little things that you don’t know that you need help with that help you the most. I was fortunate to have people in my life who embraced me and helped me with little nuances that put me on my path to success,” said Carter.
Those lessons have been instrumental to Carter as she oversees more than 450 acres of land and a number of different tenants in the Port of Milwaukee. The Port also promotes shipping and commerce throughout the region by allowing access to domestic and international ships, rail and other transportation.
“One of my responsibilities is facilitating the business that comes to the Port. We must ensure that each tenant understands how to interact with others in terms of railroads, trucks, festivals and other events. This is not always easy because everyone wants what they need right away, and it takes a lot of diplomacy to ensure that everyone’s needs are met without disrupting the needs of others.
“My predecessor saw something in me and started inviting me to meetings and conferences to give me broader exposure to other ports and industry issues. Over the years I attended the American Association of Port Authorities conventions and meetings with tenants to help me understand their challenges and how to solve them. Before leaving, my predecessor told me that he thought I’d be a good replacement,” said Carter.
Initially Carter was reluctant to consider the thought of becoming Port Director.
“My predecessor had vast maritime knowledge that I didn’t have, but I prayed about it and all the pieces came together for me. I don’t show up every day at work quoting bible scripture, but they are in me. If there’s a space I’m in and I’m not sure where to go, God always leads me through prayer,” said Carter.
When making decisions, Carter said that she has learned the importance of following her heart, regardless of the advice of others.
“There are both positive people and naysayers. Sometimes the naysayers mean well but they can speak limits over you. Follow your heart. If there is a burning within you, allowing someone to extinguish it is not an option,” said Carter.
Carter has learned the lessons of those who poured into and believed in her. She is passionate, God-fearing, capable and determined to succeed. She is a diamond to her family and to the citizens of Milwaukee.
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