UW-Madison: Diversity office honored for outstanding community leadership

MADISON – The Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, headed by Damon A. Williams, vice provost and chief diversity officer, has been honored by the 100 Black Men of Madison as the 2012 Outstanding Education Facilitator for outstanding leadership in the Madison community.

“We have watched your Madison imprint grow for the last several years and are pleased to count your office as another strategic partner in our efforts to provide access, opportunity, mentoring and leadership development to Madison area youth,” says Floyd Rose, president of 100 Black Men of Madison, Inc.

Rose says the level of leadership that Williams and his staff have provided has allowed the group to develop partnerships and initiatives that did not exist two years ago.

“The beginning-of-the-year welcome event, ‘Mixing, Mingling, and Mama’s Treats,’ intergenerational mentorship opportunities between our organization and the student-centered Wisconsin Association of Black Men (WABM), and our featured role as a partner in the Black Male Youth Initiative Leadership Forum have created a number of new platforms for us to strengthen our shared mission to improve the lives of young people,” Rose says.

Particularly impressive to the award selection committee, Rose says, was dedication from Williams and his office to truly embody the Wisconsin Idea and to identify ways to create a strong and visible presence in the community.

The university’s Office of the Vice Provost for Diversity and Climate sets the tone and direction for campuswide initiatives related to strategic diversity, equity and inclusion.