Vanessa McDowell spent nine years as executive assistant to the pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church, where she did what amounts to social work in Madison’s African American community. She turned that experience into a nonprofit leadership career at the YWCA, first as director of support services, then chief programs officer. In January, she will take the helm as Interim CEO following the departure of current CEO Rachel Krinsky.
Rank your Top 5 MCs
- 2 Pac/Biggie
- Common
- Angie Martinez, Lil Kim, Left Eye, Da Brat, & Missy Elliot-Ladies Night
- Tribe Called Quest
- MC Lyte
Which motivates you more: doubters or supporters? Supporters motivate me more. I don’t waste my energy on doubters (they get one sentence). Environment is everything. I try to surround myself with positive people and people that have my best interest at heart. They are my motivation because they push me to be a better me and they do it from a place of love.
What does it mean to be a Black in Madison? Being black in Madison means so many different things to me. On the one hand, it has meant being the only one in many settings and not being acknowledged. I call it the colorblind syndrome. It has meant being pestered by a sales associate while shopping at a store or not being acknowledged at all. In both cases I felt I did not belong there as a customer. On the other hand, being black in Madison for me has meant connecting with other amazing black people in this community. It has meant being a proud member for most of my life of Mt. Zion Baptist Church, which is one of Madison’s oldest African American churches. I have served a variety of capacities and currently play the bass guitar for the Music Department. I am also a proud member of the greatest African American Sorority in the world (no shade), Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and more specifically, the Madison Alumnae Chapter where I serve as Chaplain. I love the Greek love that we share here in Madison amongst all members of the National Panhellenic Council. Being black in Madison also means for me, celebrating ALL of our successes while holding each other up in our trials.
What three leaders in Madison under 50 have impressed you the most? There are so many great leaders here under the age of 50, but if I had to narrow it down to three leaders that have impacted my life, I would say:
Rev. Marcus Allen, who is my new Pastor at Mt. Zion Baptist Church. He has only been with us here in Madison for a little over a month, but the impact that he has had on my life in that short period of time has been tremendous. Every week he gives an encouraging word that empowers me to continue to do the work that I do. He is a true blessing.
Bobbie Kelsey, who was the former UW Women’s Basketball Coach and now works as the VP of Corporate and Wellness Programs at the Boys & Girls Club. Her story of resilience is what inspires me. To be in a cutthroat career like coaching and to experience what seems like rejection from the coaching world and to then stay in the community and plant her feet here because she knows she has more to give to this community, is just a glimpse into her character and purpose. She has been an asset to this community.
Ajani Carr, who has created his own business called “Building Bosses.” I have been impressed with this young man ever since I heard about the great work that he is doing. He is just 13 and a freshman in high school and has built his own business. He is his own definition of a BOSS (Build, Own, Serve, and Succeed). He is not only a role model for young people his age, but for us adults as well. I can’t wait to see all that he will do in this community.
What’s the biggest stumbling block in Madison to turning the corner on our racial disparities? I feel our greatest stumbling block to turning the corner on our racial disparities is our silos. Currently, we have a lot of great people and organizations doing great work, but separately. I believe that we can have a much larger impact on dismantling racial disparities if we work together. I believe that we are much stronger together than we are apart. If we can find a way to collaborate and work together toward this common goal, I believe that anything is possible.
What are your top three priorities at this point in your life? My top three priorities at this point in my life are to walk in my God-given purpose with God as my guide; to live life to its fullest because life is short; and to serve others in whatever capacity that I can.
You’re the Interim CEO at YWCA. What are you top 3 goals while serving in that role? In January 2017 I will assume the role of Interim CEO at the YWCA Madison. My top three priorities which I hope to accomplish during that time are:
- to do some internal relationship building and support of staff
- establish and develop non-traditional community partnerships
- enhance our empowerment model as we serve our participants.
A lot of people know you as DJ Ace. What do you enjoy about DJing? What I love most about DJing is experiencing music together with others and watching people enjoy themselves. I believe music is a powerful avenue of drawing people from all backgrounds together. My tagline for Djing is “guaranteed to make you say, ‘that’s my jam.’” I love it when that happens! I also love the fact that my brother and I share the same passion for music and love for DJing. He Djs in his spare time in the Atlanta area. Some of my greatest experiences have been when my brother and I have opportunities to DJ events together.
As a lifelong Madisonian, give us two ways Madison has improved and two ways it has declined? Being a lifelong Madisonian, I have seen Madison endure various changes. One way that I have seen Madison improve, even though we have a long way to go, is seeing more people of color in leadership roles throughout the city. That gives me a sense of hope. Another area of improvement that I have seen has been in Madison’s willingness to engage in dialogue about race as it relates to our community and nation. Now, we are having a lot of dialogue about race it leads me to my concern about Madison’s decline as a city. One thing that seems to be glaring is the lack of action after the dialogue. Another concern I have is our inability to come together as a community to tackle difficult and sensitive issues. When I was younger I felt our community was much more together and tight knit, especially within the black community.
Name your top five songs to get any event dancing. Well I can’t let you in on my secrets, but I will say that you definitely cannot go wrong with the 90s R&B era.
So many people who grow up in Madison move. What made you stay in Madison? My thought has always been, “Well someone has to stay and do the work.” I feel that has been a part of my purpose to stay in my community and do the work. My parents, Charles and Candace McDowell, instilled a lot of pride in me for this community. They have been trailblazers in their own rights in this community and have given so much of themselves to make it a better Madison. That same passion has been passed down to me. I am invested here and want to see my community be all that it can be and be a better place for the next generation. I do not want my community to be the worst place to live for people who look like me, but instead to be one of the best places to live. I know this is a very long-term goal, but as I stated earlier I believe that if we pull together anything is possible.
We have around 6,000 non-profits in Dane County. Why is the YWCA needed? The YWCA Madison is needed in our community for the very reason that our mission states, “to empower women and eliminate racism”. Every day we are fighting to promote peace, justice and freedom for ALL people. In this time that we are in as a nation, our work is even more essential. I work with a group passionate people who not only do the work, but embody the work in their everyday lives.
