accessible facilities, Independence-
First, a nonprofit dedicated to helping people with disabilities, regularly works with builders and Milwaukee’s housing authority on construction plans. “Builders are not
afraid to ask for our advice and are
not afraid to promote accessibility,”
says Executive Director Lee Schulz.
Multicultural Milwaukee
This “City of Festivals” was recently named by the National Trust for
Historic Preservation as one of the
year’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations for its commitment to historic
preservation, economic base of
locally owned businesses and cultural diversity and ethnic neighborhoods. For example, Milwaukee is
home to the nation’s only memorial
to the history of black slavery.
America’s Black Holocaust Museum
tells about historical injustices and
provides visitors with an opportunity to rethink assumptions about
race and racism.
Last year, Milwaukee also hosted
three national, multicultural conven-
tions: the NAACP Annual Convention, the Gospel Music Workshop of America and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce &
Business Expo. Recently, the
League of United Latin American
Citizens convention drew an estimated 10,000 visitors, including
leaders from government, business
and the Latino community. Since
2000, Milwaukee’s multicultural
conventions had an estimated economic impact of $48 million.
In addition, Milwaukee’s Sum-merfest attracts 900,000 visitors
annually. Smaller festivals, including
Arab, Greek, Italian and Native
American, also celebrate the city’s
diverse heritage. Because of multicultural tourism, Greater Milwaukee
generated $2.4 billion in spending
in 2004, supporting about 61,000
jobs locally.
Milwaukee’s public sector similarly
mirrors the community. According
to Mayor Barrett, diverse cabinet
appointments are at the top of his
priority list. “It’s very important to
have people who reflect the com-
munity, ” he says, particularly in public works and the police and fire departments. To promote public dialogue on social issues, Milwaukee
Public Television hosts 4th Street
Forums, a diverse panel of experts
who discuss racial and gender
issues. Topics have ranged from
teen pregnancy to housing struggles to healthcare.
Thanks to these diversity initiatives, “Milwaukee is in the early
Renaissance phase. It’s an exciting,
progressive place, ” IDEAL’s Batiste
explains. “The good work of being
focused and strategic has now
taken hold.”
Mayor Barrett concurs: “
Milwaukee is strongest when we embrace
diversity and when we make personal efforts to be open to all
groups of people. I’m excited about
our future.”
© DiversityInc. This advertising section was
written by D’Anne Hotchkiss under contract
to DiversityInc. Content is the property of
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Metavante Growth Strategy Maximizes Diversity
business projects. The teams, in turn, receive
coaching from senior Metavante leaders. One
Metavante LEAP team helped HeartLove Place,
a faith-based social-services organization, start
a kindergarten academy. Another recommended a new database system for tracking volunteer and donor relationships for the Urban Ecology Center, an educational group that enriches
public-school science curricula with outdoor
Frank Martire learning experiences.
Metavante also participates in INROADS, the
national program that matches college students of color to
internships. In addition, the company’s supplier-diversity
program will increase the number of vendor relationships
with women/minority-owned area companies. A career-resource network helps employees advance professionally.
The company’s call center downtown in the Schlitz Business Center attracts a diverse employee base from
throughout metro-Milwaukee. “We help them build their
career here, and we reinvest where our employees are living, ” Martire says. “What is most important is that diversity is ingrained in our company culture.”
Metavante Corporation has grown steadily
over the past five years, and talent development and retention are key to its continued
success. The company combines employee
development with community involvement,
giving employees with untapped potential the
opportunity to learn leadership skills that can
help them earn promotions.
Says Frank Martire, president and CEO, “We
are committed to helping the community, and
we are committed to helping the individual
grow and advance in our organization. People don’t have to
leave the city to advance their career.”
Metavante provides banking and payments technologies
to financial-services firms and businesses worldwide.
Headquartered in Milwaukee, the company employs about
3,000 persons here and another 2,500 at locations across
the country. One of the company’s most visible development programs is the Leadership Experience Action Program
(LEAP). Instituted six years ago, LEAP engages females
and employees of color on teams that are then matched
with area nonprofit organizations for community-related
