Community Conversations
Fall 2026
Connect with like-minded people
Each year, we host two City-Wide events that bring our community together to learn, connect, and grow. These gatherings offer people from across Wisconsin the opportunity to engage face-to-face with others who are committed to ethical leadership and to the belief that groups thrive when every voice is heard and engaged.
Fall City Wide 2026 Theme:
Leading with Grace
Our Next City Wide:
Fall 2026
Tuesday, November 17, 2026
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Location:
Alverno College- Sister Joel Read Center
3400 S. 43rd Street, Room 102
Milwaukee, WI 53234
Fall 2026 Speakers
Playlist
Chief Jeffrey Norman
Presentation Title
TBD
Jeffrey Norman
Chief Jeffrey B. Norman has dedicated more than three decades to public service and has served with the Milwaukee Police Department since 1996. Rising through every level of the organization, from patrol officer and detective to Chief of Police. He has built a career defined by principled leadership, operational excellence, and a steadfast commitment to strengthening trust between law enforcement and the communities it serves.
Appointed Acting Chief in 2020, sworn in as Chief in 2021, and reappointed in 2025, Chief Norman believes effective policing is rooted in legitimacy, accountability, and meaningful community partnerships. Throughout his career, he has led investigative, operational, and administrative divisions, including the Criminal Investigation Bureau and District 3, where he championed innovative approaches to community engagement.
Chief Norman holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a Master of Public Administration from Kaplan University, and a Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School. He currently serves as President of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Chief Norman is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute, the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police, the FBI LEEDA Executive and Command Institutes, the Southern Police Institute’s Chief Executive Leadership program, and the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations Program.
Chief Norman’s leadership is guided by the belief that public service is most meaningful when it advances both public safety and human dignity. He is married, the proud father of two children, and a Platinum Life Member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
Sean Kafer
Sean Kafer is a filmmaker, educator, and community storyteller who serves as Program Director of doc|UWM and Teaching Faculty II in the Department of Film, Video, Animation, and New Genres at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. Through doc|UWM, he leads students in the production of documentary films that celebrate community, explore social issues, and foster meaningful dialogue across Wisconsin.
Kafer has spent his career using storytelling as a tool for education, civic engagement, and social impact. Under his leadership, doc|UWM has partnered with nonprofits, advocacy organizations, and community groups to produce documentaries that amplify underrepresented voices and encourage constructive conversations about the challenges facing communities today.
His recent projects include Heavy is the Crown, a feature documentary examining community leadership, trust, and public safety in Milwaukee, and Brady Street: Portrait of a Neighborhood, a community-centered documentary created with more than 80 students. Through his teaching and mentorship, Kafer helps students develop not only technical filmmaking skills but also the empathy, character, and leadership necessary to tell stories responsibly and serve their communities.
As a speaker, Kafer shares lessons on servant leadership, mentorship, storytelling, and the responsibility of preparing the next generation of citizen-storytellers to lead with courage, humility, and purpose.
Sean Kafer
Presentation Title
Leading Through Listening and Practice
Dr. Kim Fenske
Presentation Title
Leading with Grace: Growing People, Growing Leaders.
Dr. Kim Fenske
Dr. Kim Fenske is a leadership coach, educator, and servant leadership advocate with more than 35 years of experience across education, health insurance, higher education, and the skilled trades. She holds a Doctor of Education in Ethical Leadership from Viterbo University, a Master of Arts in Servant Leadership, and a Bachelor of Science in Education.
Currently serving as a Leadership Coach at Pieper Electric, Kim partners with leaders to strengthen self-awareness, communication, and leadership effectiveness while fostering cultures where people can thrive. Known for her curiosity, empathy, and ability to ask
meaningful questions, Kim believes people thrive when they feel seen, valued, and connected to a greater purpose.
Outside of work, Kim and her husband Joel enjoy spending time with their five adult children and embracing the laughter, adventures, and unexpected blessings that come with a family that continues to grow and write new chapters together.