On Thursday, 200 people celebrated Milwaukee Magazine’s Unity Awards at GATHER at Deer District. The inspiring event was emceed by Judge Derek Mosley, the Director of the Lubar Center for Public Policy Research and Civic Education at Marquette University Law School.

This year’s honorees included Dan Terrio, the diversity, equity and inclusion director of Milwaukee County; Felice Green, the director of Milwaukee Water Commons’ Branch Out Milwaukee Initiative; Jerry Johnson, the vice president community manager at JPMorgan Chase; and Cheryl Blue, the executive director of the 30th Street Industrial Corridor. Chase and Jack Roldan, the owners of Maya Ophelia’s food truck, were also honored with a Unity Award this year, but were unable to attend the event. Read more about the honorees and their remarkable work here.

Mosley spoke with each honoree about their work to make Milwaukee a more equitable city for all. 

“We believe that the [30th Street Industrial] Corridor is worth investing in, and these communities are worth investing in. … Invest in the people,” Cheryl Blue said.

“Treating people with dignity and respect and creating a workplace where people are treated with a respect is not a political issue,” Dan Terrio said.

“Environmental justice to me is not just focused on the planet, but people, too,” said Felice Green.

“Financial literacy is what we know; financial health is what we do. … We need to start thinking about our financial health,” said Jerry Johnson.  

Our thanks to the event’s sponsors – Quad, HGA, Aon, Potawatomi Casino Hotel and Network Health – for making the night possible.

Photos:

PHOTOS BY PEARL NEMECEK / THE PEARL PHOTOGRAPHY