Chytania Brown, an administrator within the state Department of Workforce Development, has been selected to lead Employ Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Tom Barrett appointed Brown as the next president and chief executive officer of the Milwaukee County workforce development board. She succeeds interim Employ Milwaukee CEO Mark Kessenich, who has been serving in that role since former CEO Willie Wade was placed on administrative leave last year. Wade, a former Milwaukee alderman, was indicted on federal charges in May 2019 for allegedly accepting a bribe from a strip club owner related to its license to operate a club in downtown Milwaukee. A jury trial in that case is scheduled for May 18.
Brown has been administrator of the DWD’s Division of Employment and Training since 2017. She previously worked for Employ Milwaukee as its chief program officer and vice president of compliance.
“It has been a pleasure working with DWD and the new leadership in developing new strategies to transform the workforce system to be more reflective to the needs of the 21st Century,” Brown said. “I look forward to my continued work with DWD at both the local and regional level.”
While at DWD, Brown oversaw the creation of the Mobile Career Center, worked with employers and labor organizations to create public-private workforce strategies, and was involved in bringing job centers into Wisconsin correctional facilities, the DWD said.
“Employ Milwaukee gains a talented workforce professional in Chytania,” said Caleb Frostman, DWD secretary. “She is an established leader and Employ Milwaukee will accomplish great things under her leadership. I look forward to working with her in her new role, to help bring more family-supporting employment opportunities to the City of Milwaukee and the surrounding communities.”
Employ Milwaukee is the largest of 11 workforce development boards in the state.
