Keith Stanley, the executive director of
Near West Side Partners, will leave at the end of the year to become president and CEO of
University City Partners, a community nonprofit in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Lindsey St. Arnold Bell, associate director for Near West Side Partners, will serve as interim executive director of the organization upon Stanley’s departure.
“It has been an honor to serve the Near West Side and bear witness to the major accomplishments of the community over the past eight years,” said Stanley. “Near West Side Partners has established itself as a national model for private-public partnership and resident engagement resulting in community revitalization thanks to the hard work and dedication of its staff, board, anchor institutions, business owners and residents, and I have no doubt its list of successes will continue to grow in the years to come.”
Near West Side Partners, Inc. is a non-profit organization that works to revitalize the Near West Side area of the city of Milwaukee, which includes the Avenues West, Cold Spring Park, Concordia, Martin Drive, Merrill Park, Miller Valley and Piggsville neighborhoods. Stanley has been the organization’s executive director since it was founded in 2014 through the support of business and civic leaders, including the organization’s five anchor institutions – Advocate Aurora Health, Harley-Davidson, Marquette University, MolsonCoors and Potawatomi Business Development Corp.
During Stanley’s leadership of Near West Side Partners, 47 new businesses have opened in that area, according to the organization.
“Near West Side Partners is the transformative organization it is today because of Keith’s leadership, passion and vision,” said Rana Altenburg, associate vice president for public affairs at Marquette University and Near West Side Partners board president. “We wish Keith the best as he replicates the successes of the Near West Side in his new position, and we look forward to building on the positive momentum he helped establish in our community.”
“Keith has been instrumental in leading the transformation of the Near West Side and bringing national attention to the collective work of the Near West Side Partners,” said Julie Anding, vice president of inclusive stakeholder management, Harley-Davidson Motor Company and chair of the Near West Side Partners Steering Committee. “Harley-Davidson is committed to the long-term success of the neighborhood, and Near West Side Partners can count on our support as we continue to work together to make the Near West Side a great place to live, work and play.”
“Keith has been an incredible leader and advocate for Near West Side Partners, overseeing the revitalization of business and residential corridors to ensure our neighborhood is thriving,” said Marquette University president Michael Lovell. “Keith’s support has fostered growth in our city and campus—from working with Marquette faculty and students on meaningful, community-engaged research in the Near West Side to cultivating entrepreneurship among our students. It is a testament to Keith’s energy and dedication that other cities across the country are seeking to partner with local anchor institutions and replicate the model of Milwaukee’s Near West Side Partners.”
