Local
Milwaukee withdraws its appointee from embattled anti-poverty agency’s board
Milwaukee has removed its commissioner from the Social Development Commission’s board, citing doubts about the agency’s governance and ability to resume services. The decision follows recent departures or planned withdrawals by three other appointing organizations.
The City of Milwaukee has withdrawn its support from the Social Development Commission, removing its appointed board member as the agency continues to struggle with financial and operational problems.
The city removed Jackie Q. Carter from the SDC board on Friday, Oct. 23, according to Mayor’s Office spokesperson Jeff Fleming. In a letter that day, Mayor’s Chief of Staff Nick DeSiato said the city sees no clear, credible route for the commission to rebuild its operations, obtain the resources needed to restore meaningful services and deliver them consistently.
DeSiato cited concerns about the board’s governance practices, transparency and documentation, as well as the division between board oversight and executive management. Together, he wrote, those issues undermine confidence in the commission’s ability to provide accountable leadership.
The city said its decision was not meant to diminish the importance of the needs the SDC has historically served. The commission operated for decades as Milwaukee County’s anti-poverty agency, but stopped providing services amid financial turmoil about two years ago.
Milwaukee is the latest of four appointing organizations to pull back. Milwaukee Public Schools Commissioner Michael Harris resigned from the board on Oct. 15. United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County notified SDC leadership that its appointee, Pam Fendt, would leave, and Milwaukee Area Labor Council appointee Richard Diaz also resigned that week. The school district, United Way and labor council have indicated they do not intend to fill their seats.
The SDC board has continued meeting. At a Sept. 23 meeting, described as chaotic, members elected board officers. Interim CEO and board chair Jorge Franco outlined a plan for moving forward at an Oct. 13 news conference, where he said he was not concerned about appointing organizations declining to fill vacancies.
The five remaining commissioners are Franco, Spencer Coggs, Peter Fetzer, Walter Lanier and Michael Rogers.
Carter, the city’s director of employee relations and a former Port Milwaukee director, joined the board in 2024 after the Common Council approved her appointment by the mayor. In late September, she said she was uncertain about the SDC’s future. She said she hoped services could be restored, but found that difficult to envision given the organization’s circumstances.
Carter and Franco did not respond to requests for comment. The SDC’s loss of board members comes as it faces questions about whether it can restore services and rebuild the financial and organizational capacity needed to serve Milwaukee residents.