The Board of Directors of Express Yourself Milwaukee, a Milwaukee area nonprofit focused on bringing the arts to art-risk Milwaukee youth, is proud to announce that Tuyet Vance was recently hired as Director of Operations. This new position was created as part of the long-term succession plan and future vision for the organization. Ms. Vance brings to the position leadership and management skills, dedication to the youth in the Milwaukee community as well as expanded resources for the organization so it can continue to offer the quality services that Express Yourself Milwaukee (EXYOMKE) is known for.

Tuyet has an extensive background in healthcare including 19 years at Ascension Healthcare (formerly know as Wheaten Franciscan Healthcare), most recently as IT Manager, as well as held positions at both Aurora Health Care and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. She received a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University. The EXYOMKE Board is excited that the knowledge Tuyet gained working in the healthcare field has heightened her awareness of the need for genuine compassionate care, in addition to the need of expanding resources available for youth.

She has been involved with Express Yourself Milwaukee since 2008 in multiple capacities including many volunteer roles as well as serving on the Board of Directors from 2016-18. A lifelong resident of Milwaukee, but born in Vietnam during the Vietnam War to an African-American GI and a Vietnamese mother, Ms. Vance was adopted and grew up in a white Milwaukee suburb with eight other siblings. A single mother of two grown African-American sons, her oldest boy participated in EXYOMKE programs and she saw firsthand the positive impact the programs had on him.

Commented Ms. Vance, “I believe in the mission of EXYOMKE working with youth to develop their life skills using multi-arts as the tool and the language. After the Sherman Park upheaval, I knew I wanted to start working with the youth of our city so their voices could be heard. I also wanted to constructively guide them to channel that negative energy into positive outcomes.”

Board President Lori Vance added, “Tuyet’s openness and approachable nature will allow Express Yourself Milwaukee to continue to foster community and nonprofit organizational relationships. Her vision is to see youth succeed, but also to have intentional strategic alliances with others to collaborate in addressing the trauma in our community. Tuyet looks forward to deepening the impact of arts as a vehicle of change through the Express Yourself model. She sees the power of positive relationships, grounded in structure and vision, making ideas come into form for positive change.”