Dr. Eve Hall, president and chief executive officer of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin, has been tapped to lead the Milwaukee Urban League.
Hall will succeed Ralph Hollmon, who has led the Urban League since 2002 and will retire this year.
“Dr. Hall is the ideal choice to build on the momentum of the Milwaukee Urban League at a pivotal time for our community,” said Noah Fenceroy, senior managing attorney of business law at ManpowerGroup. Fenceroy is the chair of the Milwaukee Urban League board of directors and led the group’s search committee for a new leader to replace Hollmon.
“Her non-profit management experience, passion for the mission of the Urban League and deep ties locally and nationally will enable her to take the work and impact of the Milwaukee Urban League to the next level,” Fenceroy said.
Hall, the 2015 BizTimes Woman Executive of the Year, has years of experience working in education, government and nonprofit organizations. A native of Milwaukee, she earned a bachelor’s degree in educational psychology from Florida A&M University before moving back to earn a master’s degree in administrative leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Ph.D in educational leadership from Cardinal Stritch University.
Her previous roles include executive director of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, vice president of public affairs at Family Service of Milwaukee, director of Milwaukee Public Schools’ School to Work program and director of former Gov. Tommy Thompson’s Milwaukee office. Hall was appointed to serve on the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents by Gov. Scott Walker in 2014 and also serves on Walker’s task force on minority unemployment.
In addition, Hall is a member of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s Local Area Business Action Team, the Greater Milwaukee committee’s Future Workforce Committee and sits on the Make a Difference Wisconsin Advisory Council.
She is also the co-founder of the African American Women’s Project Fund, which was formed in 1999 to support organizations dedicated to the well-being of women and girls.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Milwaukee Urban League to build on the same mission that has guided my work at the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin for almost five years,” Hall said. “Both organizations are focused on economic vibrancy for African American families and communities through education, employment and economic development and I can envision strong collaboration between the two organizations and others as we all work together to make Milwaukee a stronger city.”
The African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin said it will begin searching for Hall’s replacement immediately.
“She returned AACCW to a position of prominence in the community and our board of directors is forever grateful,” said AACCW board chairperson Clifton Phelps. “Though we are sad to see her go, we are proud of the work we have been able to do together to renew the chamber. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Milwaukee Urban League on issues that affect all of us. The AACCW now looks forward to raising the organization to an expanded level of impact and effectiveness for our members throughout the State of Wisconsin.”
