United Way's Robyn Davis is an attorney, CEO and now UWGB's outstanding woman of color

GREEN BAY − Robyn Davis has worn many different caps in her life including attorney, judge, president and CEO. But her most recent is outstanding woman of color in education.

Along with 13 other recipients, Davis received the University of Wisconsin System's Outstanding Women of Color in Education Award earlier this month, recognized by the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

A self-described recovering attorney and municipal court judge, Davis has previously served as the president of Freedom House Ministries and since 2017 has been the president and CEO of Brown County United Way.

The award recognizes women of color who have fostered social justice and organizational change; created positive transformation within their institutions or the community to promote diversity, equity and inclusion; and who are improving the climate for people of color.

"She is a transformational leader. She is compassionate. She is direct. She is committed, and she gets things done," said Corey King, the vice chancellor for university inclusivity and student affairs at UWGB, who was a part of the nomination process for the award. He also serves as the vice chair on the Brown County United Way board of directors.

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Davis originally thought the award was only for UWGB staff and faculty ― specifically educators. Honorees can be UW staff, students or a community member and are selected by their local UW campus.

"But I realized, we all have an opportunity to educate and teach every time we show up in a space," she said. "I think, particularly for women of color, that when we show up there's an opportunity for people to learn from our experience, to learn a different perspective, to think differently about accomplishments."

While at the awards ceremony in Madison on Nov. 10, Davis read through the accomplishments of the other awardees as well as those being recognized for the Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People.

"I start reading through that, and I'm thinking, 'Whoa, like the work that's being done by other women of color and those that represent the LGBTQ+ community is pretty outstanding and impactful.' And then you just think, 'OK, I'm in this group,'" she said.

Davis' work at Brown County United Way focuses on creating community-wide systems change to help improve the lives of the most vulnerable Green Bay-area residents, particularly those from households with income below the federal poverty level and those who make below the basic cost of living.

Those whose income is below the basic cost of living but above the federal poverty line are referred to as the ALICE population ― asset limited, income constrained, employed ― which encompasses everyone from college students to elderly residents and those with disabilities to military members.

Almost 38% of households are considered to be living on the edge of financial insecurity in Wisconsin, based on United Way research.

King said he's grateful for her leadership and the support Brown County United Way's services provide UWGB students.

"She really championed United Way's ALICE initiative and through that initiative, her leadership in addressing food insecurity and homelessness and financial literacy, and all those important concepts related to social mobility," King said.

"It's key to the university because we have faculty, staff and students who, unfortunately, find themselves in those situations where there is inequality and there is a lack of shared resources," he said. "And so Robyn, through United Way and her leadership, has really created pathways for access and for equity."

The organization's goal is to uplift people with long-lasting solutions instead of temporary stopgaps. That requires financial investment in community programs, providing direct services to people, research to understand needs and advocacy to make policy changes.

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A large part of Davis' work leading Brown County United Way is supporting local organizations with grant funding so they can expand programming and continue services that educate, improve health, help provide financial stability, and build community connections.

For example, Literacy Green Bay, a nonprofit that helps adults with literacy skills, and the Brown County Library got a United Way grant to create play spaces with reading materials for families at local laundromats. The Navarino Neighborhood Association got a grant to put security lights in Navarino Park.

United Way is investing its resources in neighborhood initiatives, specifically in downtown, Joannes Park, Navarino and Whitney Park. The initiatives are meant to improve cohesion and growth through research, community partnerships and by including resident perspectives.

Davis also is a facilitator for the Center for Exceptional Leadership at St. Nobert College. She teaches a workshop for organizations on unconscious bias, and she says one of the most impactful ways to teach is through experience.

In 2017 when she had just taken on the role of president and CEO, Davis remembers a man at one of the organization's meetings who looked visibly shocked to hear that she, a Black woman, was the new leader.

"His reaction was he was startled," she said. "Clearly, in his experience, he had not encountered a woman of color in that kind of (a) position."

Ultimately to her, this award is about being seen.

"Sometimes (women of color) aren't seen, and so this award is about being seen and recognizing the various ways that we contribute to the community," she said.

Danielle DuClos is a Report for America corps member who covers K-12 education for the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Contact her at dduclos@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @danielle_duclos. You can directly support her work with a tax-deductible donation at GreenBayPressGazette.com/RFA or by check made out to The GroundTruth Project with subject line Report for America Green Bay Press Gazette Campaign. Address: The GroundTruth Project, Lockbox Services, 9450 SW Gemini Dr, PMB 46837, Beaverton, Oregon 97008-7105.

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Meet the United Way advocate who's UWGB's outstanding woman of color