Tiffany Tardy named New Executive Director of MPS Foundation

The Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) Foundation has chosen local education leader and MPS alum, Tiffany Tardy, as its new Executive Director.

Tardy’s background in educational and nonprofit leadership, combined with her passion for helping students of color, first-generation students, and limited-income students achieve higher education, make her the ideal person to build on MPS Foundation’s impact in the community. As Executive Director, she will lead fundraising efforts and have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the foundation’s staff and programs, and the execution of its mission to provide equitable opportunities for all MPS students and staff.

“This new opportunity is personal for me because I know how education changed my trajectory in life,” said Tardy. “I’ve seen firsthand how education can play a role in transforming lives here in Milwaukee. Through the MPS Foundation, it is my mission to help provide the same access to high-quality education to every student in our city.”

Tardy has more than 15 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership and is currently pursuing a doctorate in education at Alverno College. She most recently served as the Managing Director of Programs for All-In Milwaukee – a coalition of education partners dedicated to increasing the pipeline of diverse talent in Milwaukee by helping limited-income, high-potential students graduate college.

The MPS Foundation plays a crucial role in Milwaukee’s education space operating as an independent 501c3 nonprofit and the vehicle through which essential enrichment projects, programs, and initiatives that cannot be funded through the MPS annual budget are supported and sustained. Each school year, the MPS Foundation provides thousands of MPS students with college scholarships, immersive field trips, safe outdoor play spaces, basic school supplies, trauma care, art programming, STEM initiatives, and even funded a new library at Gaenslen School that opened just this year.

“It wasn’t only Tiffany’s experience that set her apart but her dedication to the kids of Milwaukee because, at the end of the day, that’s what the MPS Foundation is all about,” said John Kersey, MPS Foundation Board President. “She understands the needs of today’s students and teachers and has the relationships and understanding of how to fill the inequity gaps in our city. We are thrilled she is bringing her passion and expertise to our organization.”

Recent MPS Foundation highlights include:

• Funding nearly $1M in scholarship support to MPS graduates
• Providing pandemic support for online learning, including $2M raised for the #ConnectMilwaukee campaign
• Revitalizing approximately 20 playfields, raising $800,000 on behalf of schools
• Sending tens of thousands of students to experiential learning opportunities and field trips, including $450,000 in donations from Herb Kohl Philanthropies
• Offering numerous STEM and academic programs, one-of-a-kind music and arts programs, summer camps, and United Nations programming, including $300,000 in financial support annually from various partners

More information on MPS Foundation’s work can be found in its recently released 2022 Impact Report and on its website, mpsfdn.org.