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Mike Williams, interim executive director of City on a Hill. Photo credit: City on a Hill[/caption]
Milwaukee-based nonprofit
City on a Hill has named
Mike Williams as its interim executive director following the firing of its chief executive officer
Art Serna Jr.
Serna had led City on a Hill, which focuses on eliminating poverty in Milwaukee,
since 2021. His removal was announced by board president
Mitch Lueck in a message posted on the organization's website. The circumstances around his exit were not made public.
"Effective Friday, June 6, 2025, Art Serna, Jr. is no longer serving as chief executive officer of City on a Hill. The Board of Directors made this decision after thoughtful deliberation and with the organization’s health, values, and long-term mission in mind. We are grateful to Art for his service and leadership during his time with City on a Hill, and we wish him well in his future endeavors," Lueck wrote.
Williams' promotion to interim executive director was announced in a separate message the following week. Williams joined City on a Hill in May as family engagement manager. He has nearly three decades of leadership experience in the nonprofit and public sectors, including most recently as director of residential services at
Lad Lake and earlier as president and CEO of the
Guest House of Milwaukee, along with other roles at
Wisconsin Community Services, the
City of Milwaukee and
Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
"As someone who grew up in our neighborhood and overcame many of the same challenges faced by the families we serve, Mike offers a unique perspective and unwavering dedication to this work," Lueck wrote in his message. "The board has full confidence in Mike’s ability to guide the organization through this transition with clarity, compassion, and strategic focus."
City on a Hill employs six people and is based in a former hospital building at 2224 W. Kilbourn Ave. on the city's near west side. It serves 1,200 youth and 1,800 adults annually through its health care and social services, youth and family programs, and Christian-based spiritual formation. The organization is especially focused on serving families in the zip codes of 53233, 53208 and 53205, which have some of the highest rates of poverty in the city.
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Art Serna Jr., former CEO of City on a Hill. Photo credit: City on a Hill[/caption]
During Serna's tenure as CEO, City on a Hill underwent a brand refresh in 2023, rolling out a goal to reduce childhood poverty by 50% in the neighborhoods its serves by 2033. In summer 2024, the nonprofit
opened a new health and wellness clinic inside its building at 23rd Street and Kilbourn Avenue, offering free medical, behavioral and dental care services.
In an email to BizTimes Milwaukee, Serna expressed his gratitude to the City on a Hill board for the opportunity to lead the organization in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, "during which we researched, designed and launched the 'Whole-Family, Whole-Person Care' model."
"Shaped by 25 years of learning from Milwaukee’s youth and families, this initiative aims to transform how our city addresses generational poverty," said Serna, who also endorsed Williams as City on a Hill's interim leader, saying his "community ties and leadership make him the ideal choice" to guide the nonprofit forward.
Following his departure from City on a Hill, Serna founded a private strategic management firm called Cosmos Renewed, where he now serves as chief strategy officer.
