A Q&A with Danae

After 7 years of leading Milwaukee Succeeds, Executive Director Danae Davis is retiring this November. Her formative work within the organization and her children-first mindset have inspired countless people - and will no doubt continue to do so for years to come. We sat down with Danae to discuss her time at Milwaukee Succeeds, her advice for others stepping into the work, and her vision of what the future holds.

How did you end up at Milwaukee Succeeds? 

Initially, Ellen Gilligan invited me to serve as a volunteer leader on the Milwaukee Succeeds Leadership Council based on my role as a member of the UW System’s Board of Regents, to represent the higher education sector. This was in 2011. Thereafter, Ellen, Jackie Herd-Barber and Mike Lovell, all members of the Milwaukee Succeeds Executive Committee, recruited me to serve as the second Executive Director of Milwaukee Succeeds in May 2015. 

What has surprised you most about this work? 

What has most surprised me about this work is how tremendously hard it is to get systems owners, e.g., schools, government, philanthropy etc., to change their systems for the betterment of children, youth and their families. Whether we’re talking about healthy, equitable access to culturally responsive schools; access to city, county and state services and access to philanthropic resources for all children, youth and families; or the ease by which folks get what they need to survive and thrive in communities. Or whether we’re talking about dismantling racism and entrenched inequities, it shouldn’t be this hard. 

Danae Davis, fourth from the left, stands with the Milwaukee Succeeds team at the 2022 StriveTogether Cradle to Career Convening.

On the other hand, though not a surprise, the enthusiasm by which partners, organizations, and philanthropy join together to advocate for better outcomes for kids, especially putting Black and Brown children first, has been truly inspiring! 

What do you find the most challenging about the work? 

What is most challenging is how slowly policies and practices change, even when it’s obvious what must change to get needed resources to our families quicker. Finding a way to stay committed through results being achieved is tough. 

How have you changed since you joined the organization? 

The biggest change for me is deepening my listening skills, appreciating the role data plays in developing good strategies and - as Dr. Cornell West recently said - seeking truth, rather than being right all the time. I am a better person from this experience of leading Milwaukee Succeeds. 

How has Milwaukee Succeeds changed since you joined? 

I believe that Milwaukee Succeeds has grown to be much more valued, valuable, and focused with children and racial equity clearly at the center of our work. We have valued being accountable for working with community to determine what’s important, giving credit for our partners and recognizing when to lead, when to support and when follow. Our team has become a valued partner within the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and among our Coalitions because of our shift to partnerships over the years. 

What’s your favorite memory or success story surrounding our work? 

Danae Davis, who also serves as the Board Chair of StriveTogether, welcomes attendees to the 2022 StriveTogether Convening during the opening reception.

I have many favorite stories. In choosing one, I think about the early years of implementing Leading Men Fellows, a pipeline approach to introduce Black and Brown young men to teaching our youngest learners in early childcare centers. The first cohort of Fellows included young men who had no intentions of being teachers, but for whom their experience with 3-5 year old children in classrooms taught them love and how to be loved as they worked with the children in improving their reading skills. We have many videos of these young men, including David Tate, who is now pursuing his education degree so that he can be an accredited ECE teacher, in the classroom and the faces of the children are priceless.  

Over the years, what’s kept you motivated to continue to do this work? 

I have been motivated by the fact that our children and youth deserve to have adults who are absolutely committed to doing all they can to give them a better life and one where their goals and dreams are fulfilled. I am especially motivated to continue the fight against institutional and structural racism, as it is manifest in so many examples of barriers to the healthy wellbeing of our Black and Brown children in Milwaukee. We must first love them, and then ensure that their futures are bright. 

Where do you see Milwaukee Succeeds going in the coming years? 

Milwaukee Succeeds future is extremely bright. As we build coalitions of diverse, committed partners across all sectors, putting children, youth and racial equity at the center, we will continue to realize success in numbers and the power of the many. Our focus on building the capacity of community to use data, be strategic and focused and unified for results, will be more and more obvious as the way forward in the future. 

Danae Davis, right, poses with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and President and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Ellen Gilligan.

What advice would you give to someone stepping into this work? 

My advice would be: be in the movement for the long hall. This is not quick fix work. At the same time, celebrate wins as they occur. (That will be energizing.) Welcome a broad tent. We all bring something of value and there is no one way to achieve results, so be nimble and flexible. Be for the children and against racism. 

What are you looking forward to doing once you retire? 

I’m looking forward to continuing to discover who I am outside of work and to taking better care of myself. I’m looking forward to fewer “have to’s” and to finishing some of my favorite books. More time with family and, of course, traveling. 

To end on something different: You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant? 

HaHa, this one is funny! I would somehow get on top of the elephant and have someone take a picture of me riding it. Then I would let the children in my life ride the elephant, too. 😊