Meet the Commissioners

Add your voice to the equal rights conversation!

The City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commission is seeking to fill two (2) vacancies for the position of ERC Commissioner.

As community volunteers, ERC Commissioners are expected to attend bi-monthly commission meetings, participate in at least one monthly board committee meeting, and to represent the interests of the City of Milwaukee and its residents, workers, and visitors in matters pertaining to equal rights. To apply, submit your interest via the ERC Applications & Nominations page.

Tony Snell Rodriguez, Chair

Tony Snell Rodriguez has been a deeply passionate human rights advocate throughout his entire life. Growing up in South Carolina, Tony began his path to advocacy. He was a contributor to the book, “Southern Perspectives of the Queer Movement,” sharing his personal experiences of coming out and LGBT political organizing in the South. Ever an agent of change, he was a founding member of the National Equality Federation and played a major role in the passage of the City of Columbia Human Rights Ordinance, which was one of the first pieces of legislation of its kind in the South.

In recent years, Tony has served as Senior Director of Volunteer Management for the Democratic National Convention, crafting and implementing a strategic volunteer management plan and developing relationships within the LGBT communities across the state of Wisconsin. From there, he worked as the Wisconsin State Coalitions Deputy Director for the Biden-Harris campaign. Tony managed a team of coalition directors supporting and building infrastructure for several diverse constituencies, producing more than 30 coalition events including the first state coalition launch of the campaign recognizing LGBTQ Pride Month.

Tony currently serves as Visit Milwaukee's Community Engagement and Inclusion Director. Thanks to his efforts, VISIT Milwaukee has gained a much larger public visibility on a local scale, has worked tirelessly to improve the flow of information to new visitors, and has continued to push for wider and more diverse visitor engagement. While at VISIT Milwaukee, Tony has served as a member of the organization's internal Unique Unites Committee (inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility) and external IDEA Committee, working to actualize these ideals within the organization and the community.

In addition to his professional schedule, Tony also is the Chair for the City of Milwaukee’s Equal Rights Commission, overseeing the top score in the Human Rights Campaign Municipal Equality Index since 2018. He serves as a Member of the Milwaukee Downtown Plan Community Council, working towards bringing equity and inclusion to the forefront of the City’s Downtown Plan. Tony served as a member of the Board of Directors for Milwaukee Pride and the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, leading a coalition to ensure a passage of a city ordinance prohibiting conversion therapy. Finally, he is a part of the City of Milwaukee Racial Equity Leadership Team, Health Department's Equity Advisory Committee, and Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Speakers Bureau for the program Hours Against Hate. Tony is also a regular panelist and speaker on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) topics.

Jacqueline Cook, Vice Chair

Jacqueline Cook is the epitome of human resources (HR) with over 30 years of experience as an HR professional with 15 years of academic experience teaching HR and other business-related courses in three institutions of higher education; most notably the development of Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC) A.A.S. Human Resource Program. Her story is one of triumph, perseverance, and the unabashed tenacity to defy odds. Her authentic and transparent style of leadership has garnered her accolades and respect among her peers, superiors, and subordinates. Driven by results and motivated by achievement, with steadfast determination, she has a proven track record for success.

From serving as a lead Human Resource Consultant for WE Energies to Faculty Innovator for MATC, Cook has relied on her keen insight, subject matter expertise, and strategic alignment to create avenues for personal and organizational success. In combining her passion for HR and education, she has crafted a path uniquely her own. Her uncanny ability to market any company’s mission, vision, and philosophy, as well as identify top talent, has propelled her to the next level of her career. As president of J.A. Cook Consulting – “The Oracle of HR Legal and Academic Services”, Cook offers HR services, education, and training, as well as legal consultation in matters of employment law.  In addition, as an entrepreneur, Jacqueline counsels and advises leadership on HR and corporate initiatives.

Cook holds a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University, a Master of Science in Administrative Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Master of Legal Studies-Human Resource Management from Trinity Law School. Relying on passion and competency to outline her destiny, Cook holds certifications in Diversity and Inclusion for HR with Cornell University, Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Wisconsin Technical Colleges – Milwaukee District.

Cook is affiliated with numerous civic and professional organizations, including SHRM, American Bar Association, International Society of Female Professionals, Association of Blacks in Higher Education, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She has been recognized among the elite in academia in Who’s Who in Community Colleges Higher Education, Who’s Who in Black Milwaukee, and is a Future Milwaukee Leadership Development Program alumna.

Nathan Guequierre

Nathan Guequierre is an urban planner with 20 years’ experience in managing project focusing on urban redevelopment, economic analysis, policy analysis, and transportation planning and design. All his work is centered on effective and equitable public and stakeholder involvement. He leads teams of professionals for a variety of public sector clients. He has a special focus on pedestrian systems planning and environmental justice evaluations. He works for a Fortune 500 company.

Born in Milwaukee, Nathan grew up in Michigan. He returned to Milwaukee in 1988 with an undergraduate degree in English. He worked as staff writer at the Milwaukee Art Museum, associate editor of Milwaukee’s Art Muscle magazine, and regularly wrote articles for newspapers and magazines around the country, including Milwaukee’s Shepherd Express, where he served as the paper’s art critic for a decade. He is the author of City-Smart: Milwaukee (1997, John Muir Press, San Francisco), a hopelessly out of date guidebook to Milwaukee.

Nathan earned a master’s degree in urban planning  from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. For the last decade and a half, his work has focused on public involvement, particularly in the framework of environmental justice evaluation: assessing the disparate impacts of infrastructure development on minority and low-income populations and working with the people affected by those projects to maximize their benefits and serve the needs of all residents. He leads complex projects for municipal, state and Federal agencies. In addition to the City of Milwaukee Equal Rights Commissions, Nathan serves on the board of directors of the Urban Economic Development Association of Wisconsin.

William Crowley

William Crowley is a lifelong advocate with a deep passion for Milwaukee.  Born in Chicago, he moved to Milwaukee to attend law school at Marquette University.  Since graduating, he has demonstrated a commitment to serving marginalized populations throughout the community.  In 2014, he joined the staff at Disability Rights Wisconsin, where he works as an attorney advocate for people with disabilities on long-term care Medicaid programs.  Also in this role, William has served on a number of committees, including the Diversity and Inclusion committee and worked with local government and county transit officials on public transportation program implementation for riders with disabilities. 

Since 2023, William has served as a board member with All Wheels Up, an organization dedicated to improving air travel accessibility for people with disabilities.  William also serves on the board of directors for Independence First, and served as a member of the Governor’s Task Force on Caregiving, working on solutions to address the caregiver workforce crisis in Wisconsin. 

In his spare time, William also runs a blog detailing his adventures on wheels and showcasing his love for all things Milwaukee.

Jessica Boling

Jessica Boling is the Assistant Deputy Director at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, appointed by Governor Evers in 2022. She is leading efforts to transform WHEDA into a data-driven organization and is developing its first statewide housing plan. With a diverse background in political campaigns, angel investing, and community organizing, Jessica is the Co-Chair of the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalition of Wisconsin, advocating for the AAPI community.

Her previous roles include Director of Community Engagement for the AAPI at the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee and Wisconsin State Director for the AAPI during the Biden 2020 campaign. Additionally, Jessica has international experience, including a Fulbright Fellowship in Cameroon and serving as Secretary-General for a nonprofit in Seoul, South Korea. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University and a Master's from Boston College, and enjoys tennis and travel.