MADISON – Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, on Wednesday announced the members of the newly formed Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities, which is chaired by Majority Leader Jim Steineke, R-Kaukauna, and Rep. Shelia Stubbs, D-Madison.
The group, consisting of four legislators and 28 community members, will focus on ways to address racial disparities, educational opportunities, public safety, and law enforcement policies and standards. Vos announced plans to create the task force in the wake of civil unrest in Kenosha and other Wisconsin communities this summer.
“More than 100 people applied to be on the task force. After a month of interviews, we will now move forward with an unprecedented, community-focused group,” Vos said in a news release. “The membership represents a diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and geography of the state. I want to thank the legislators and community members for agreeing to be part of the task force.”
The first gathering of the task force will be an introductory meeting next Wednesday, October 28, at 1 p.m. in 412 East at the Wisconsin State Capitol.
Task Force Members
In addition to Steineke and Stubbs, other legislators on the Task Force are: Rep. Robert Wittke, R-Racine, and Rep. Kalan Haywood, D-Milwaukee.
Citizen members of the Speaker’s Task Force on Racial Disparities are:
- Rev. Marcus Allen, Pastor, Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Madison and U.S. Army Veteran
- Rev. Yao Yang, Pastor, The Cross Church, Wausau, Joseph Project Leader and Executive Director of The Gospel TLC
- Tehassi Hill, Chair, Oneida Nation
- Ricardo Diaz, retired former Executive Director, United Community Center, Milwaukee
- Rebecca Burrell, Activist, Entrepreneur, Singer/Songwriter
- Pastor Jerome Smith, Greater Praise Church of God In Christ, Milwaukee, Joseph Project Leader
- Marty Calderon, God Touch Ministry, Milwaukee
- Dr. Jeremiah Holiday, Chief Academic Officer, Milwaukee Public Schools
- Fred Royal, President, Milwaukee NAACP
- Keetra Burnette, Director, Stakeholder Engagement, United Way of Dane County and Urban League of Greater Madison
- Dr. Eve Hall, President and CEO, Milwaukee Urban League
- Ossie Kendrix, President and CEO, African-American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin
- Theresa Jones, VP for Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, Children’s Wisconsin, Milwaukee
- Damond Boatwright, Regional President, SSM Health
- Linda Fair, Academic Advisor, Blackhawk Technical College
- Veronica King, Instructor, Gateway Technical College Instructor and Former Department of Corrections Social Worker
- Ted Nietzke, CEO, CESA 6 and Former West Bend School District Superintendent
- Tory Lowe, Co-founder and CEO, Justice of Wisconsin
- Pam Holmes, Retired Milwaukee Police Officer, President of the National Black Police Association- Wisconsin Chapter
- Tony Gonzalez, Founder and Co-Chair, Toward One Wausau
- Patrick Mitchell, Chief of Police, West Allis Police Department
- Danilo Cardenas, Secretary/Treasurer, Milwaukee Police Association
- Jim Palmer, Executive Director, Wisconsin Professional Police Association
- Nate Dreckman – Grant County Sheriff
- Pastor Dannie Evans, House of God Church, Janesville, WI and Former Probation and Parole Agent
- Steven Roux, Rice Lake Police Chief
Wayne Strong, Retired Lieutenant, Madison Police Department - Kalvin Barrett, Law Enforcement Instructor, Madison College
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