Carmella Glenn has dedicated her life to being a community advocate and now the violence intervention supervisor at the Public Health Madison & Dane County (PHMDC) has officially announced her candidacy for District 18 to represent the Common Council on Madison’s North Side.
“I worked so much with the community around violence the last two years, and I’ve been itching to do this. I’m running because I know the community and I want to make a difference,” Glenn tells Madison365. “Between my lived experiences, my experience at my job at the Department of Health Services, between my peer support work and my job around violence, I can see where the gaps are and I have direct knowledge in how things are moving, and so I just know it’s time to do it.”
As the former director of Just Dane’s Just Bakery, Carmella has championed job training and workforce development, making a big impact on the lives through the innovative program that works with individuals who are experiencing significant barriers to employment. She has also recently worked as a peer services coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Glenn has deep roots in the North Side having lived there on and off her entire life and having a son who went through the North Side public schools including Gompers Elementary, Blackhawk Middle School, and Madison East High.
“I particularly bought my home on the North Side because I wanted to eventually run. I’ve been a part of this community my whole life and I’ve watched things happen here and always felt like I could make a difference,” she says.
Glenn says that she understands the unique challenges and opportunities that the community faces on the North Side, and overall in the city of Madison, and is committed to addressing them. Some of the issues that she says will be her priorities in her campaign include housing, safety and violence prevention, job creation and common sense economic development, and transportation and food accessibility.
“I have so many issues that are important to constituents here on the North Side. Housing is one of the key issues that I see on a daily basis that needs to be addressed,” Glenn says, adding that she is committed to ensuring that affordable and accessible housing options are available for individuals and families. “We know we need to build all of this housing; we’re behind on housing. And there are really good examples with Northport Apartments and Packers Townhomes and Kennedy Heights [Townhouses].
“I would love to see more homeownership here in North Madison. We have space. It’s really important that we do housing right. We’ve done it right in so many places and we can do it here,” she adds.
Working with young people to ensure that they have promising futures will be another priority for Glenn.
“I would love to see better transportation in that area; we’ve lost some bussing transportation. Workforce development is a key issue, especially for our young people. There’s not a lot there for teenagers and young people. We need something for them to do with their idle hands, especially when school is out,” Glenn says. “We don’t have a lot of training programs or Urban Leagues or Boys and Girls Clubs or non-profit agencies like we do in other parts of the city. We have the space and the richness and the potential to have more on the North Side.”
A full list of Glenn’s priorities can be seen on her new campaign website.
“I think we really want to make sure as we are building out and that we’re protecting all of the environment and land over here. We have some great stuff. We have Cherokee Marsh,” Glenn says. “I also hear from people all the time that they want to have another grocery store besides Willy Street Co-op that is closer. Our Pick ‘n’ Save is not really bus friendly and for some people, Willy Street Co-op is way too expensive.”
Charles Myadze has been the alder of District 18 since 2021. Anthony McNally has also filed to be alder, according to the the City of Madison. There is still plenty of time for another person or two to jump into the race.
“I think what really made me decide to run for office is when I started to work inside systems. I worked in the nonprofit arena most of my career, and really saw us doing great work with [Just Dane’s] Just Bakery, and it was that one-person-at-a-time thing,” Glenn says. “That is great and fulfilling, but I think I have a unique perspective from my lived experience with criminal justice reform and violence intervention and workforce development. I’m someone who has also been through those things and struggled with being housed … people like me should be at the table inside, or we will still keep complaining about why things aren’t changing.
“I work with alders regularly at my job. I’m in meetings weekly with them. I’m seeing all of the things, and I see the gaps,” Glenn adds. “I know that this is where you got to be. You got to be at the table and you have to be in these important discussions.”
Glenn has two sons and two “bonus sons” from her husband, Demell Glenn, ranging from ages 18 to 33.
“My family and I are proud to call the North Side home. My son went through all of the schools here and I know a lot of the young people over here. I know a lot of the parents,” she says.
Now that she has officially announced, Glenn says she is looking forward to knocking on as many doors as she can on Madison’s North Side.
“I really love the North Side. It is almost like you get the best of both worlds — living in the city and living rural — because it’s old and it’s got old trees and old neighborhoods. Because of the marsh, you’ll see a deer or a fox or a turkey or a crane. The North Side is established. It has history,” Glenn says. “My husband, when he moved here from Milwaukee, lived in Packers Apartments, and so being able to come back as a homeowner in his community has been great. It’s just rich with community. It is one of the best communities in Madison over here on the North Side.”
For more information about Carmella Glenn’s campaign, please visit carmellafordistrict18.com or e-mail [email protected].
