The featured guest speakers at the Pastors United meeting held on January 9, 2014 at Jerusalem Baptist Church were: Racine Mayor John Dickert, Racine Housing Program Director Ola Baiyewa and Racine Prison Community Re-entry Program Director Jim Schotzman. Each presented invaluable information for the budding pastors group considering its foray into helping solve some of the many problems plaguing the City of Milwaukee. Mayor Dickert, to the amazement of some in the audience, said Racine didn’t experience a single homicide in 2013, which he attributed to city officials proactively working to engage the community for input in solving problems in the community. Racine Housing Program Director Ola Baiyewa presentation centered on how his agency works with the faith community and the steps the agency takes to ensure individuals participating in their housing program receive the proper job readiness skills, along with apparel, shoes and equipment to successfully enter the job market. Racine’s Prison Communtiy Re-entry Program Director Jim Schotzman imparted wisdom on how not to run a community program. To keep an organization structurally sound, he said it is fundamental that a strong board is key to any organization’s success, which means having a board that consists of individuals who are competent with expertise and are from a variety of professions. He suggested a community organization’s board be comprised of lawyers, accountants and business savvy individuals who possess a strong track record. Pictured above are: (top left) Racine Mayor John Dickert; Racine Housing Program Director Ola Baiyewa (left center) Racine Prison Community Re-entry Program Director Jim Schotzman (bottom left) and some of the members of Pastors United.
