In December, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Milwaukee named 12 finalists for its annual Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation (MANDI), which celebrates two decades this year.
Winners will be announced in an event on Thursday, April 11 at Potawatomi Hotel and Casino, at 4:30 p.m. You can register for the event here.
The public can still vote for the People’s Choice Award winner, which receives $1,000, here.
The finalists:
Brewers Community Foundation Public Space Award for public space that helps build the community:
- Browning Elementary/Silver Spring Neighborhood Center Multi-Sport Collaborative Group
- Washington Park Neighbors for Washington Park Concert Series
BMO Harris Cornerstone Award for commitment and effectiveness over time:
- CORE El Centro
- Running Rebels Community Organization
Chase Economic Development Award for economic and business development:
- Blue Skies Landscaping
- Rev-Up MKE
Northern Trust Navigator Award for individual leadership:
- Carolyn Esswein, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
- Susan Lloyd, Zilber Family Foundation
Associated Bank Trail Blazer Award for an innovative approach to a community problem:
- MATC Promise
- PeppNation Sports Leadership Camps MKE
State Farm Building Blocks Award for a real estate project that advances the community:
- Turnkey Renovation-Layton Boulevard West Neighbors
- Welford Sanders Historic Lofts and Enterprise Center
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He can be heard weekly on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories.
