Editor’s note: Post From Community is the place for community announcements and event postings. If you have a community-oriented event you feel our readers would be interested in, please submit here.
By Cindy Moran
Milwaukee, WI – May 28, 2026 – Cathedral Square Friends are delighted to announce that there will be a celebration for the Honorary Street Naming of East Wells Street located in downtown Milwaukee for Cecilia “The Queen” Gilbert on Thursday, June 18, 2026. The event will be held on the Southwest Corner of Cathedral Square Park starting at 5 p.m. and will feature several Milwaukee dignitaries, friends and family.
The effort to recognize Cecilia Gilbert with an honorary street naming has been spearheaded by Cathedral Square Friends, a board that she was an active member of beginning in 2021 until her passing in 2024. When asked why it was important to honor Cecilia in this way, Board President Dave Reid shared this: “Cecilia spent her life making Milwaukee a better place. From her 40 years at the city, to the boards she sat on, which included the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Visit Milwaukee, Black Public Relations Society, Pabst Mansion and Cathedral Square Friends, just to name a few, she moved Milwaukee forward with her passion and joy. But mainly, it’s because she was the Queen of Milwaukee.”
Cathedral Square Board Member Dan Taylor added: “Cecilia was a unique person who had an incredible ability to bring people together. For the past 30 years Cathedral Square and the East Town neighborhood were her “living room” where she lived, met people for dinner or drinks, met friends for Jazz in the Park. Her impact on the neighborhood was profound. . . . Anytime Cecilia walked in the Cathedral Square area, everyone recognized her and knew she was “holding court” somewhere near the corner of Jefferson and Wells.” The Friends have found it only fitting to honor “The Queen” in this way and keep the spirit of Cecilia alive in Cathedral Square Park, a place where she could meet old and new friends and enjoy downtown Milwaukee to the fullest.
The Honorary Street Naming of East Wells Street program will begin at 5 p.m. on
Thursday, June 18, 2026, and will include remarks from:
- Welcome and Emcee – Dave Reid, Cathedral Square Friends Board President/
Urban Milwaukee Publisher/Co-Founder
- Remembrance and Tribute – Tracy Stockwell, Ph.D., Professor of Communication & Technology at Alverno College
- Remarks – Alderman Bob Bauman
- Remarks – Tamara Sherie Mays (niece of Cecilia Gilbert)
- Remarks – County Supervisor Sheldon Wasserman
- Followed by Ceremonial Unveiling
(Please note: Program schedule is at time of publication. For program updates, please refer to cathedralsquarefriends.org and their Facebook page facebook.com/CathedralSquareFriends).
Following the Honorary Street Naming of East Wells Street, attendees are encouraged to attend Jazz in the Park which will include a Cecilia remembrance and tribute with a live music celebration featuring the band Respect! A Tribute to the Queen of Soul! Music runs 6 – 9 p.m. in Cathedral Square Park. To learn more about Jazz in the Park and this summer’s line up, please visit: easttown.com/jazz-in-the-park/.
###
About Cecilia “The Queen” Gilbert
Cecilia Gilbert worked for over 40 years for the City of Milwaukee in a variety of roles in the Department of Public Works, Department of City Development, Emergency Government, Common Council and the City of Milwaukee Commission on Community Relations. She also held a position with the Milwaukee County Supervisors. She remained active with City Hall even after her retirement in 2017 from DPW with her appointment to the Administrative Review Board of Appeals.
Cecilia had extensive experience in communications, media relations, events, governmental relations, community relations and outreach. She had a special flair for event planning and had a proven history of spearheading efforts on behalf of the City of Milwaukee with diverse community groups, non-profit and charitable organizations and for-profit entities within the Greater Milwaukee area. Cecilia was also known to many as the go-to person for any question related to the City of Milwaukee and was always happy to help people and point them in the right direction so they could get the information they needed. Through her various roles in the City, notable events she helped coordinate or assist with included the annual City Tree Lighting event, Bastille Days, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. City-Wide event, St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Great Circus Parade, the City of Milwaukee’s first farmer’s markets and Riversplash! held along the Milwaukee River.
Cecilia sat on many Milwaukee non-profit boards sharing her skills and expertise including Cathedral Square Friends, Lakefront Festival of Art, Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Pabst Mansion, Visit Milwaukee, Fresh Coast Jazz, Black Public Relations Society, to name a few. She was also an active patron of the arts and was often spotted attending theater productions, art and museum openings, concerts, Summerfest and Jazz in the Park.
A long-time resident of Yankee Hill, Cecilia also took full advantage of everything downtown Milwaukee has to offer including events at Cathedral Square Park, patronizing local restaurants and bars as well as shopping. She loved it all and was well known throughout downtown establishments as one of their favorite customers.
Known for her magnanimous spirit, Cecilia left an impression on everyone she met. She had a remarkable memory and could recall names from people she knew over 50 years ago. Her contact network was wide and deep. In addition to her role in the City and her volunteer work, she was also devoted to her large family, circle of friends and was a mentor to many. She rightly deserved being called “The Queen” and has been sorely missed since her passing in August 2024 after a short illness. Cecilia’s spirit will continue to live on in downtown Milwaukee with the Cecilia “The Queen” Gilbert Honorary Street Naming. Somewhere she will be smiling.
About Cathedral Square Friends, Inc.
The mission of Cathedral Square Friends is to support, maintain and enhance Cathedral Square as a historic public gathering place. Cathedral Square Friends, Inc. is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax deductible to the extent provided by law.
About the Cathedral Square Board of Directors
Cathedral Square Friends board is made up of the following members: Dave Reid (President); Mariiana Tzotcheva (Secretary); Ellen Baehr (Treasurer); Kim Morris; Daniel Taylor; David Weirick; Carl Baehr; Pamela Booth and Tammy Bockhorst.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
