Marcelia Nicholson is the first Black Latina elected Chairwoman of the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, where she’s now serving her third term. A former MPS teacher, Marcelia ran for office in 2016 to tackle systemic barriers like food insecurity, housing instability, and violence. She quickly rose to vice chair in 2018 and made history in 2020 as chairwoman.

Marcelia has championed racial equity and led Milwaukee County to become the first in the nation to declare racism a public health crisis. She co-authored legislation to revitalize the Youth Commission and led generational reforms that expanded revenue, created a budget surplus, and preserved essential services.

Marcelia is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Black Southern father, both lifelong educators. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee and completed Harvard Business School’s Young American Leaders Program in 2024.

Nationally, she co-chairs Local Progress, helps train new leaders through the Progressive Governance Academy, and is a 2023 NewDEAL Leader, part of a network of rising progressive elected officials.