Retirement Statement from Danae Davis

Later this fall, 2022, I am retiring from my work as Executive Director of Milwaukee Succeeds.

It’s time. Why, you might ask?

• Because it’s time to hand over the baton to the next generation of leaders in this civic collective action work;

• It’s time as we further evolve Milwaukee Succeeds into a systems transformation partnership model for changing outcomes for Black and Brown children, youth and families. And by supporting leaders with lived experiences in assuming their rightful places as leaders in this community;

• It’s time to support those young people as they continue to grow into powerful roles in the C2C movement.

I am so very grateful for the opportunity to have served with our amazing and talented Milwaukee Succeeds team!  Their engagement each and every day through the hard work of supporting systems change and action in our community is truly special, and I’ve grown so much through this experience. Additionally, our committed partners, leaders and friends have contributed mightily to where we are as a solid, collective impact partnership dedicated to the success of each and every child in Milwaukee. I appreciate each and every one of you.

I am proud of the honor of co-leading the development and growth of our Milwaukee Succeeds-led MKE ECE Coalition, as well as the support we’ve given toward the creation of our Youth Forward MKE Coalition.

Our ECE Coalition, comprised of over 45 partners, home and center-based providers, nonprofits, philanthropists, government, and organizations that support our early learners, together have advocated and succeeded in attracting millions of dollars to support the stability of the ECE sector, increase access to affordable and quality childcare and to enable the continued recruitment, retention and professionalization of the ECE sector. This model - demonstrating the power of Coalitions – will live on as the way to achieve action that changes results.

I am truly proud of the commitment we have made, through our Youth Forward MKE initiative, to changing the success trajectory for Black male youth in Milwaukee. This population is the most disenfranchised, deserving all that we have to enable their success.

The building of our Milwaukee Succeeds brand, locally and nationally within the StriveTogether network of 68 communities serving over 11 million children, 6.6 million of whom are BIPOC, stands out as a major accomplishment by our team and partners while I’ve been in leadership. Resources continue to come into Milwaukee Succeeds to support policy, talent development and sustainability of our partnership, now and into the future.

And I am proud of the positive influence we have enjoyed as an embedded initiative within the Greater Milwaukee Foundation; engaged and aligned as strategic partners.

My career has been full of special opportunities, and I will always have such wonderful memories of what we’ve done together, and what I’ve learned about leadership.

Now it’s time for me to enjoy this next phase of my life, with more time for family and friends and whatever life holds for me.

For more information, read the full press release here.