Celebrating Diversity at Stritch: Dr. Jeanette Mitchell, '01
Dr. Jeanette Mitchell, ’01, to receive lifetime achievement award
Dr. Jeanette Mitchell (Ed.D. Leadership for the Advancement of Learning and Service, '01) will receive the Maria Monreal-Cameron Lifetime Achievement Award at the Milwaukee Business Journal Diversity in Business Awards ceremony. Cardinal Stritch University is a lead sponsor of the awards, which will be celebrated on Thursday, April 14.
Mitchell is a spirited community champion for the city of Milwaukee. She is passionate about the educational empowerment of youth, women and people of color. She has focused her work on politics, education, philanthropy, business and non-profit organizations.
“Dr. Jeanette Mitchell is very deserving of the Maria Monreal Cameron Lifetime Achievement Award,” said Stritch President Dr. Dan Scholz. “Her commitment to the Milwaukee community is unparalleled and her impact can be seen through the meaningful work of the hundreds of professionals who have learned from her. The entire Stritch family is very proud that Dr. Mitchell is receiving this recognition.”
As chief creative officer for her consulting firm, Leadership By Dr. Jeanette (LBDJ), Mitchell directs, designs and manages leadership training initiatives in the greater Milwaukee area in collaboration with other organizations. She founded the African American Leadership Alliance-Milwaukee (AALAM), which is home to the African American Leadership Program (AALP).
In 2001, Mitchell co-founded the Leadership Center at Stritch. In 2008, she expanded the center's offerings to include the AALP, which offered action learning, executive coaching and networking to enhance African American professionals’ ability to lead in the Milwaukee area. More than 200 individuals from an array of businesses, professions and organizations have completed AALP.
A respected leader, Mitchell’s skills span management and diversity issues, as well as executive training and development. She worked in the business sector for more than 30 years, including various senior management positions at Ameritech/SBC/AT&T. During that time, Mitchell also served as an elected representative on the Milwaukee School Board for eight years, including three terms as president. Before beginning her role at Stritch with the Leadership Center, Mitchell worked at the Helen Bader Foundation for eight years as the first education program officer, where she secured funding to maintain the foundation’s leadership in educational policy.
Mitchell has earned over 30 honors and awards for her accomplishments, including being named a Milwaukee Business Journal Woman of Influence in 2013. In 2014, Mitchell received the Mother Bartholomew, OSF, Lifetime Achievement Award from Stritch. In 2019, Mitchell was named one of the Sacagawea Award recipients by Professional Dimensions. In recognition of her long-standing work to connect and develop leaders of color, Mitchell received the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s President’s Leadership in Racial Equality and Social Justice Award in 2020.
In addition to her doctorate from Stritch, she holds an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Management from Alverno College.
Celebrating Diversity at Stritch shares the stories of members of the Cardinal Stritch University family who are transforming the communities where they live, work, serve and lead.