Vanessa  McDowell

Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Madison and member of the UW–Madison Department of Sociology Board of Visitors

Vanessa McDowell ’03 is the chief executive officer of YWCA Madison, where she works from an empowerment model to eliminate racism and empower women. She is the first black woman CEO in YWCA Madison’s 108–year history. In 2016, BRAVA magazine selected McDowell as one of its 22 Women to Watch. In 2017, she was named one of the 35 Most Influential African Americans in Wisconsin by Madison 365. In 2018, she was honored as one of Madison’s 40 under 40 by In Business magazine. She was appointed by Governor Evers to the State Criminal Justice Coordinating Council in 2019 and to the State Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion in 2021. In 2022, she received the Humanitarian Award from the City of Madison and Dane County.