Ten years of leading revitalization efforts in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley has prepared Laura Bray to take charge of redevelopment efforts in central city neighborhoods as executive director of LISC Milwaukee.
Bray, whose first official day heading LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corp.) is Monday, Aug. 10, succeeds Leo Ries, who in April transitioned out of the organization after 15 years to head in a new personal and professional direction.
Prior to LISC, Bray herself had been exploring a new direction as chief executive officer of BioForward Inc., the member-driven Wisconsin affiliate of the Biotechnology Industry Organization, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and the Advanced Medical Technology Association.
With her background in economic development, she was appointed to the helm of the Madison-based nonprofit corporation last September. She exited the role at the start of May with an intention to keep her daily life focused on Milwaukee.
While working for BioForward, Bray had been commuting to Madison from Milwaukee, where her family was living and where she had built her personal and professional networks.
“It really was evident that much of the work needed to be focused in the Madison market,” Bray said of her work at BioForward.
That expectation strayed from her own ambitions.
As Bray now takes over LISC’s executive team, her career will, in a sense, come full circle. After graduating from Marquette University – where she got the “community development bug” – in 1994, Bray moved to Bridgeport, Conn., to serve in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Her assignment in Bridgeport – which, coincidentally, is where her mother grew up – charged her to work on a project backed by LISC.
“I’ve always valued what LISC’s mission is and its ability to pool resources together and really engage…financial partners and other real resources and technical assistance to bring significant investments in neighborhoods,” Bray said.
The organization, which has a national presence and community chapters across the country, is driven to transform struggling neighborhoods into vibrant communities of opportunity.
Bray also partnered with LISC during her decade as executive director of Menomonee Valley Partners, a nonprofit focused on stimulating revitalization in the Menomonee Valley.
Within the past 15 years, MVP’s work and its partnerships with public and private stakeholders have spurred the relocation or expansion of 40 companies and the creation of 5,000 jobs.
“Laura brings years of experience in community and economic development and a strong base of cross-sector partnerships to her new role at LISC,” said Lisa Glover, chairwoman of LISC Milwaukee’s advisory board and a member of the LISC National board of directors. “She is strategic and passionate about her hometown of Milwaukee. Laura’s vision for the future of LISC and the city will make her extremely effective as our new executive director.”
Among Bray’s first priorities in her new position will be meeting with LISC’s key stakeholders to better understand individual relationships the organization has fostered and how they can collectively strengthen LISC’s impact going forward.
Bray said she also aims to explore how other cities across the country are approaching community development and is eager to leverage some of LISC’s national pool of resources in Milwaukee.
Long term, she sees a lot of opportunities to grow both lending and the dollar investment that can fuel community projects. She also is committed to enhancing LISC’s support for Milwaukee families looking to stabilize their finances. LISC addresses families’ financial health at Financial Opportunity Centers – community resource centers that provide financial coaching, tax preparation services, employment services and more. Two Financial Opportunity Centers currently exist in Milwaukee, and there is potential to expand the model in the city, according to Bray.
At the moment, Bray believes the city environment is “conducive to positive change” as the economy stabilizes, as the city allocates significant resources to economic development at the main street and commercial district level, and as LISC looks into leveraging national funding.
“It’s just this moment in time where things could be aligned for the benefit of Milwaukee neighborhoods,” Bray said. “I feel like there’s so much to build on, and there’s this great base that has been built.”
