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Amanda Avalos, Vice-Chair
Commissioner Avalos was appointed to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in January 2021. She is currently the Senior Civic Engagement Director at Leaders Igniting Transformation. Avalos is a graduate of Marquette University, the Emerge Wisconsin program, the Harvard Business School Young American Leaders Program, and Public Allies (twice). She is a co-Founder of Milwaukee Beautiful, a Legal Observer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, and an activist committed to seeing Milwaukee thrive.
Email: amaval@milwaukee.gov
Phone: 414-708-0964
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Joan Kessler
Commissioner Kessler was appointed to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in July, 2021. An honors graduate of the University of Kansas and Marquette University Law School, Commissioner Kessler practiced law for more than 35 years prior to her appointment to the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District 1, in 2004. She retired, following 16 years on the bench, in 2020. Deeply committed to the legal profession, Commissioner Kessler co-founder the Lawyers Association for Women, served as the President of the Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association, and served as Chair of the Wisconsin Bar Association Board of Governors. Commissioner Kessler brings a wealth of community service experience to the FPC, having served on the board of the Milwaukee Chapter of the ACLU and the Milwaukee Women’s Club’s Race, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Kessler and her husband, Fred, have also established a scholarship to help graduates of Milwaukee Public Schools access the high quality educational opportunities offered by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. When not serving her profession and her community, Commissioner Kessler enjoys spending time with her family, especially her four grandchildren.
Email: jkessle@milwaukee.gov
Phone: 414-708-6539
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Fred Crouther, D.Min
Commissioner Crouther was appointed to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in May, 2015. He is the founding Pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church, where he has been preaching, teaching, and shepherding for over 35 years. Under his leadership and direction, the church has undertaken a number of projects and programs aimed at community improvement and citizen empowerment, including a credit union and housing development corporation. Commissioner Crouther completed his undergraduate studies at Alcorn A&M University (formerly Alcorn A&M College) in Lorman, Mississippi and the American Baptist Theological Seminary in Nashville, Tennessee where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree. He also earned a Master's Degree in Religious Studies and a Doctor of Ministry Degree in Strategic Leadership from Faith Seminary in Tacoma, Washington. Commissioner Crouther has served as President of the Wisconsin General Baptist State Convention, Inc., 2nd Vice-President of the National Baptist Convention USA, Inc., Treasurer of the Board of Directors for OIC-GM, and Chairman of the Community Safety Coalition among other board and leadership appointments. He is a life member of the NAACP and has received a number of awards for his community involvement and leadershp both locally and nationally. Commissioner Crouther has the credentials of a seasoned corporate executive and the humble, caring heart of a servant. A combination not often seen or easily duplicated.
Email: Fred.Crouther@milwaukee.gov
Phone: 414-708-6035
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LaNelle Ramey
Commissioner Ramey was appointed to the Board of Fire and Police Commissioners in July, 2021. A dynamic and inspirational leader, Commissioner Ramey comes to the FPC with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from Marquette University and significant experience serving the Milwaukee community. He was instrumental in the creation of the Department of Black and Latino Male Achievement within Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), supported the African American Leadership Program at Cardinal Stritch University, and lead a $2 million Academic and Healthy Sports Initiative that provides academic support, career exploration, athletics, and service learning to 2000 members annually with Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Since 2019, Commissioner Ramey has served as the Executive Director of MENTOR Greater Milwaukee, where he has focused his attention on preparing and equipping mentoring organizations to provide quality and effective mentoring to young people throughout Greater Milwaukee. He also served as an Adjunct Professor at Cardinal Stritch University and most recently was a founding board member of the Inaugural Milwaukee Health Board.
Email: laramey@milwaukee.gov
Phone: 414-708-3343
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Dana World-Patterson
Commissioner World-Patterson was appointed to the Board of the Fire and Police Commission in December 2021. Commissioner World-Patterson is the founder of a nonprofit organization, Foundations for Freedom, Inc. an organization who recently was given an opportunity to redevelop an eight-unit apartment building into transitional housing for women. She also serves as a mayoral appointee on the Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault. Commissioner World-Patterson is the chair of the Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee and has been part of this task force for over 14 years. World-Patterson is a graduate of Jackson State University and earned a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. Commissioner World-Patterson is very committed to her work and hopes to use her experience to inform her work as a new commissioner.
Email: dwpatt@milwaukee.gov
Phone: 414-708-4262
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Bree Spencer
Commissioner Spencer was appointed to the Board of the Fire and Police Commission in April 2022. Commissioner Spencer serves as a Senior Program Manager on Policing at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a legacy civil rights organization that advocates for an America as good as its ideals. Before joining The Leadership Conference, Bree was the Director of Evaluation and Technical Assistance at Safe & Sound, where she created and managed revenue-generating technical assistance for community-engaged public safety programs. She also served as the Director of Community Programs and Neighborhood Safety Coordinator at Safe & Sound. Commissioner Spencer is a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she teaches program evaluation to first-year Master’s students. Commissioner Spencer has her MPA from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University.
Email: bspenc@milwaukee.gov
Phone: 414-708-8252
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