Building Bridges to Family Economic Success
Follow up to May 4 and 5, 2009 Building Bridges Summit held at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
On behalf of Governor Doyle, the Department of Children and Families continues to follow up on the "Call to Action" issued at the Building Bridges to Family Economic Success Summit designed to identify strategies that will move families toward greater economic security.
On June 4, 2009, the Wisconsin Core Team, the leadership team for the Building Bridges Summit, met to consider the initial recommendations from the summit. They agreed to a set of strategies. Planning groups are beginning the work of taking the core team recommendations and filling in key details for each of the strategies identified. There is still time to join a follow up planning group.
Group leaders include:
Adult Education Group
- Christine Lidbury, Executive Director, Wisconsin Women's Council, christine.lidbury@wisconsin.gov
- Linda Preysz, Policy Advisor, Department of Workforce Development, linda.preysz@dwd.wisconsin.gov
Birth to Twelve Education Group
- Joyce Mallory, Executive Director, Malaika Early Learning Center, jmallory@malaika.org
- Lilly Irvin-Vitella, Executive Director, Supporting Families Together Association, lilly.irvin-vitella@dpi.wisconsin.gov
Building Family Income and Supports
- Greg Markle, CSBG Coordinator, Department of Children and Families, gregory.markle@wisconsin.gov
Family Support
- Jermaine Reed, Executive Director, Fresh Start Family Services, jreed@freshstartmilwaukee.org
Housing
- Steve Antholt, Public Health Educator, Asbestos and Lead Unit, Department of Health Services, steven.antholt@dhs.wisconsin.gov
- Robert Jones, Wisconsin Community Action Program Association, bjones@wiscap.org
Job Creation
- David Riemer, Executive Director, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute, driemermil@yahoo.com
The Building Bridges Conference was featured at the University of Wisconsin-Marathon County conference in August, "Understanding and Overcoming Poverty" to have a report out from the overall summit as well as reports from specific groups at the event about their ongoing work.
- Core team meeting in September to consider workgroup recommendations for sign off.
- Announcement of recommendations at WISCAP "Poverty Matters" Conference scheduled for December 2 and 3, 2009 at the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton, Wisconsin.
- Set of recommendations/report issued in late fall.