Robyn Davis, lawyer & Brown County United Way CEO, appointed to state equity council

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Robyn Davis, a lawyer and CEO of Brown County United Way, is among the appointees to the Governor’s Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion.

Gov. Tony Evers announced 30 appointments on Monday, the first day of Black History Month. The council is charged with providing strategic guidance to the governor, lieutenant governor and Department of Administration Secretary about developing a framework to promote and advance diversity, equity and inclusion practices in Wisconsin state government.

The appointees are a diverse group of professionals with experience working on diversity and inclusion issues in places throughout the state. Dawn Crim, council chair and secretary-designee of the Department of Safety and Professional Services, said the council enables members to combine their efforts and leverage their expertise to benefit all of Wisconsin.

Davis brings such experience. She’s served as president and CEO of Brown County United Way since 2017 and previously worked as president of the nonprofit Freedom House Ministries. Davis is a graduate of the George Washington University Law School.

Karen Timberlake, the Michael Best Strategies partner recently appointed as interim secretary of the Department of Health Services, will also serve on the council. The complete member list is as follows:

• Dawn Crim, Secretary-designee DSPS and council chair
• Robyn Davis, J.D., President and CEO, Brown County United Way
• Marie Summers, Councilwoman, Oneida Business Committee
• Mai J. Lo Lee, Diversity Director, Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs Office at UW-Green Bay
• Dr. Monica Cummings, Assistant Minister, Bradford Community Church
• Dr. LaVar J. Charleston, Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and Clinical Professor, School of Education at UW-Madison
• Dasheika Kidd, Program Manager Housing Resources, Inc & Racine Financial Empowerment Center
• Mai Xiong, President, Hmong American Leadership and Economic Development, Eau Claire City Councilmember
• Shaundel Spivey, Director, Upward Bound and President/Co-Founder of B.L.A.C.K
• Dr. Odawa L.A. White, Dean of Student Affairs, Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College
• Ruben Hopkins, Chairman/CEO of the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce, Inc.
• Jessica Boling, Co-Chair, Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of Wisconsin
• Victor Barnett, Founder/Executive Director, Running Rebels Community Organization
• Que El-Amin, Co-Founder, Young Enterprising Society
• Markasa Tucker, Executive Director of the African American Roundtable, Inc., a project of the Hmong American Women’s Association
• Tammy Rivera, Executive Director, Southside Organizing Center of Milwaukee
• Nisreen Atta, Registered Nurse and Muslim Liaison, Islamic Society of Milwaukee
• Beth Wroblewski, Executive Director, Employment Resources, Inc.
• Jessica Cavazos, President/CEO, Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce
• Dr. Carlton D. Jenkins, Superintendent, Madison Metropolitan School District
• Percy Brown, Jr., Director of Equity and Student Achievement, Middleton Cross Plains Area School District
• Adin Palau, Assistant Director of Community Relations and Campus Engagement, University of Wisconsin Madison and Chair, State Council on Affirmative Action
• Dr. Alex Gee, President and Founder, Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development and Pastor, Fountain of Life Covenant Church
• Vanessa McDowell, CEO, YWCA Madison
• Amy Pechacek, Secretary-designee, Department of Workforce Development
• Kevin Carr, Secretary, Department of Corrections
• Mary Kolar, Secretary, Department of Veterans Affairs
• Karen Timberlake, interim Secretary, Department of Health Services
• Joaquín Altoro, Executive Director and CEO, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority
• Emilie Amundson, Secretary, Department of Children and Families

In a statement, Evers said the council will help expand and improve work to build a state government that interacts with everyone in Wisconsin.

The council’s first meeting is scheduled for Feb. 19. Follow @WLJReporter