John Schlifske, chairman and CEO of Northwestern Mutual, Mike Lovell, chancellor at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Jackie Herd-Barber, Greater Milwaukee Foundation Board member and civic volunteer, have been named chairs of Milwaukee Succeeds, a new broad-based strategic partnership that will serve as a long-range major civic initiative to focus on educational success for all children in Milwaukee.

The public-private partnership focuses on creating and supporting strategies that ensure success for every child in every school in Milwaukee, from early childhood opportunities to post-secondary options.

“We may all have different ideas for how best to improve the outcomes for children in our community, but we all agree that we want every child, in every school to have success, cradle to career,” said Ellen Gilligan, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “Milwaukee Succeeds gives the community a chance to come together to bring about lasting change to the way education works for our children.”

Foundation Board Chair John W. Daniels Jr. added, “Great things can happen in communities because of community consensus and people who are willing to take the lead. I am enthusiastic about this important work and grateful for the positive response to Milwaukee Succeeds.”

Milwaukee Succeeds was organized by the Foundation, Greater Milwaukee Committee, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee Urban League, and United Way of Greater Milwaukee. A leadership council, representing 38 different organizations from early childhood to post-secondary education, has crafted the framework for the partnership. Milwaukee Succeeds will work toward the following key goals: all children are prepared to enter school; all children succeed academically and graduate prepared for meaningful work and/or college; all young people use post-secondary education or training to advance their opportunities beyond high school and prepare for a successful career; all children and young people are healthy, supported socially and emotionally and contribute responsibly to the success of the Milwaukee community.

Over the next few months, council members are meeting to discuss different measures for each goal to track the progress over the long term. Regular feedback will be provided to the community on the outcomes.

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation is a family of more than 1,000 individual charitable funds, each created by donors to serve the local charitable causes of their choice. Grants from these funds serve people throughout Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee and Washington counties and beyond. Started in 1915, the Foundation is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the world.