| Born February 22, 1971, Camden, Arkansas; married; 6 children.
Graduate Beloit Memorial High School; B.A. in Political Science, Tougaloo College; B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration, magna cum laude, Mount Senario College; Masters of Science & Management, Cardinal Stritch University.
Full-time legislator; member of the Dane County Board of Supervisors, serving the 23rd district; first African American woman to chair a Dane County standing committee and to hold the leadership position of vice chair of the Board, Currently serving on the following committees- Personnel & Finance Committee (chair); UW-Extension Committee (co-chair); Racial Disparities Sub-Committee; Greater Madison Convention & Visitors Board of Directors; Tamara D. Grigsby Office of Equity and Inclusion Advisory Board; Alliant Energy Center Redevelopment Committee; Dane County Youth in Government (mentor). Former special education teacher; adjunct professor; probation and parole agent; match support specialist.
Member- National Association of Counties (NACo) (Justice and Public Safety Steering Committee, Vice chair of Law Enforcement Committee); first African American woman to serve on a NACo committee representing Wisconsin; Women of NACo (WON) Secretary; Bridge-Lake Point Neighborhood Association (president); Madison Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; NAACP Dane County Branch; End Time Ministries International (co-founder and ordained pastor).
Former member- Black Caucus Chair, Democratic Party of Wisconsin; Wisconsin Counties Association (Board of Directors, chair and vice chair of the Judicial and Public Safety Steering Committee, first African American woman to serve as steering committee chair); NAACP Madison Branch (first vice president); Wisconsin NAACP Conference of Branches (third vice president); Madison Youth Council of the NAACP (chartering member, youth advisor).
Recipient- Who's Who Among High School Students; Wisconsin Women of Color Network, Inc. Woman of Achievement Award 2014; National Dean's List; Broadway-Simpson-Waunona Neighborhood Center Fifth Annual Pride Festival Spirit Award 1998; Dane County Human Services Friends of Joining Forces for Families Award; "MISS NAACP" 1992 at Tougaloo College; NAACP Madison Branch W.E.B. DuBois Advocates Award 2004; Now Faith Ministries 100 Women in White Award; Genesis Social Services Corporation & The Black Women's Expo Award 2008; 100 Black Men of Madison Award 2015; Democratic Party of Wisconsin Eleanor Roosevelt Award 2014; Madison 365 Black Power The 44 Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin 2016; Community Building and Advocacy for Social Justice Building the Generation Gap Community Leader Champion Award 2018; Madison Metropolitan Chapter of the Links, Inc. Community Award 2017; Democratic Party of Dane County Midge Miller Award for Outstanding Elected Official 2019; YWCA Woman of Distinction Award 2019.
Elected to Assembly 2018. |