Home Local News Mo Cheeks selected as new president of Madison Public Schools Foundation

Mo Cheeks selected as new president of Madison Public Schools Foundation

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Madison365 staff
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Mo Cheeks (Photo supplied.)

Mo Cheeks has been named the next president of The Madison Public Schools Foundation (MPSF), the organization announced on Wednesday.

The Foundation’s board of directors unanimously selected Cheeks following a three-month leadership search focused on identifying a visionary and collaborative leader capable of guiding MPSF into its next era of impact and growth.

“Mo is the right leader at the right time for our organization,” said Jill Jokela, chair of the MPSF board of directors, in a statement. “As we prepare to celebrate 25 years of serving Madison’s public schools, the Board has tremendous confidence in Mo’s ability to lead the next chapter of the Foundation’s work. He understands our culture deeply, has a track record of building partnerships between the public and private sectors, and brings the experience and leadership that is needed to continue our mission. Mo also recognizes the critical role Madison’s public schools play in developing our future workforce and strengthening the region’s economy, and he will be an important partner in deepening engagement with our business and employer community.”

Cheeks brings a deep and longstanding commitment to Madison’s public schools, according to a press release from MPSF. He was the founding board chair of Schools Make Madison Advocates, the Foundation’s affiliated advocacy organization, and previously served on the MPSF Board of Directors. A three-term Madison Common Council member from 2013 to 2019, Cheeks has spent two decades at the intersection of civic leadership and the technology industry, with a career focused on mission-driven organizations. He currently serves as executive director of Power to the Polls Wisconsin, a statewide voter mobilization program focused on empowering communities of color. He has been recognized among In Business magazine’s “Madison 40 Under 40” and Madison365’s “Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin.”

“Public schools are one of the few places left in this country where people from all walks of life share the same space. This makes them one of our most important societal institutions,” said Cheeks. “When schools are strong, communities are strong. The Madison Public Schools Foundation has been key to that strengthening of our community for 25 years, and stepping into this role feels like exactly the right moment to ask what the next 25 years need to look like. I’m eager to deepen our partnerships and make sure the Foundation’s work is felt in every school across the district.”
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