Local organization cultivates diverse and influential network to transform Milwaukee into a more inclusive city where everyone can thrive
This Friday, November 15, 2019, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m at the ManpowerGroup headquarters, the African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee (AALAM) is hosting a press conference to publicly launch as an organization. AALAM addresses Milwaukee’s racial disparity by focusing on sustaining African American talent in the region through a system-wide approach that supports and develops leadership in all civic sectors and at all levels of the community.
In 2017, more than 80 African American leaders and allies came together to participate in a three-day strategic training to identify solutions to address racial disparities and improve the vitality of African Americans in the Milwaukee region. Building upon the 12-year history of the African American Leadership Program (AALP), Milwaukee’s premier leadership experience for developing high-performing African American leaders, AALAM provides a cross-sector network of African American leaders and allies dedicated to developing, supporting, and positioning Milwaukee’s pool of African American talent.
“This is an opportunity to leverage the lessons we’ve learned from AALP. AALAM is truly a natural evolution from the AALP program, serving as a connector for supporting sustainable, system-wide change across the Milwaukee region,” said Dr. Jeanette Mitchell, Founder and Chief Catalyst of AALAM.
AALAM will present its goals and engagement strategy to the community during Friday’s press conference. The organization’s goal is to transform Milwaukee into an opportunity-rich city where everyone succeeds and flourishes. ALAM focuses on positioning African American leadership across various sectors. The diverse, cross-sector leaders are organized into action circles, which allows them to leverage their spheres of influence to promote and sustain system-wide change.
“We see an extraordinary opportunity to harness Milwaukee’s African American talent to transform the Milwaukee region into a global destination where everyone, regardless of race, can thrive and prosper,” said AALAM Board President, Antonio Riley. Utilizing his experience as the Former HUD Midwest Region Administrator and his unique background of 20+ years within national leadership appointments, state government, and economic development, Riley embodies AALAM’s role as a connector among civic leaders, community organizations, and policymakers.
One of the influential organizations partnering with AALAM is the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), which is committed to increasing the economic vitality of the metro Milwaukee business community. The organization recently released the Region of Choice study, which outlines not only the need for urgency but for the type of strategic action AALAM provides. Julie Granger, AALAM strategic partner and Executive Vice President of MMAC, will make remarks on MMAC’s relationship with AALAM and the benefits of investing in local African American talent.
To commemorate the significance of all the events being hosted on November 15, AALAM is recognizing the day as African American Talent Day. The AALAM public launch is just one component of the day’s activities that will feature other community events, with more than 300 African American professionals focused on developing and retaining African American talent in the Milwaukee region. Community organizations engaged in these events include The Greater Milwaukee African American Employee Resource Group Connection, United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Diversity Leadership Society, and The National Association of African Americans in Human Resources.
About AALAM
AALAM, founded in May 2017, is a cross-sector network of African American leaders and allies dedicated to developing, supporting, and positioning Milwaukee’s pool of African American talent. Its ultimate goal is sustained, system-wide change that transforms Milwaukee into a more inclusive, opportunity-rich city where everyone can thrive.
For more information or press credentials, contact Ericka Kelly at (414) 336-6712. [email protected]. aalamilwaukee.org.