April 19, 2023 – With the help of the Wisconsin Law Foundation’s Fund to Enhance and Promote Diversity, the State Bar Diversity and Inclusion Oversight Committee (DIOC) takes steps to enhance the profession by creating opportunities for open discussions on the issues of diversity and inclusion.

With assistance from the Fund, the DIOC is sponsoring Dr. Alexander Gee of Madison to speak at 9:50 a.m. Thursday, June 15, 2023, at the State Bar Annual Meeting & Conference (AMC) in Milwaukee.

The committee’s 2023 topic is “When the Black Community Thrives, Wisconsin Benefits: Calling on Lawyers to be Agents of Real Change,” which “allows us to make space for individuals who do not have an overwhelming presence in professional legal spaces,” said Jennifer Johnson, chair of the DIOC Communication & Education Subcommittee.

Gee is president and founder of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture and The Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development in Madison. He is an international thought leader in leadership development and cross-cultural relationships.

Gee “has a vast amount of experience being an agent of change in his various roles,” Johnson said, including as an adjunct faculty member, community activist, life coach, international lecturer, and relief worker.

“Dr. Gee will be an amazing speaker at this year’s AMC,” Johnson said.

More About Dr. Alexander Gee

Led by Gee, the Nehemiah Center’s programs focus on youth empowerment and leadership development, family and community wellness, economic development, and reentry services for formerly incarcerated individuals.

Gee has taught or lectured worldwide, in such varied places as India, South Africa, Cambodia, South Korea, and Canada. His history class, “Black History for a New Day,” has educated over 2,700 attendees in person and virtually.

In recognition of his community work, Gee has received numerous honors, and is the author of two books and host of the award-winning podcast, Black Like Me.

“Gee is just one of the many successful and influential Black men in Wisconsin, and by providing a platform within the legal community – which is underrepresented by Black men – we are confident that his session will be impactful,” Johnson said.

The Fund: Making a ‘Real and Tangible Impact’

The Fund to Enhance and Promote Diversity supports diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives through grants, scholarships, and awards, and underwrites the cost of speakers and programming focused on diversity-related issues and voices.

“The Fund is crucial to the DIOC,” Johnson said, allowing them to engage speakers like Gee.

In addition to speakers, the Fund supports the State Bar Diversity Clerkship program, as well as scholarships and grants for young diverse attorneys to attend conferences.

The Fund is one of four where members can designate their contributions to support specific State Bar and Foundation programs.

“As a newer donor to the Law Foundation, I very much appreciate the impact our donations have on the legal profession, and particularly on the State Bar’s diversity and inclusion efforts,” Johnson said.

“This Fund boosts up-and-coming Wisconsin lawyers who may not otherwise be exposed to the legal field – whether that be due to geographic location, school funding, or the lasting effects of systemic racism, discrimination, and historical exclusion. That makes a very real and tangible impact on our profession,” Johnson said.

See Alexander Gee speak at AMC on Thursday, June 15

This year’s Annual Meeting & Conference (AMC) is June 15-16, 2023, at the historic Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee.

See nationally-renowned plenary speakers including Alexander Gee, and attend your choice of more than 20 CLE sessions to enhance your practice, and network and celebrate with your colleagues.

For more information and to register, visit amc.wisbar.org.