MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has thrown his support behind three candidates for the city's Fire and Police Commission.
Their nominations are now subject to the approval of the Milwaukee Common Council.
Barrett said in a statement Wednesday he has nominated Joan Kessler, LaNelle Ramey and Ed Fallone as commissioners for the FPC.
One seat on the commission is currently empty after Steven DeVougas resigned, and two seats are about to be empty with the expiring appointments held by Nelson Soler and Angela McKenzie.
“These nominees will bring enormous talent and experience to the Fire and Police Commission. Each has a notable record of professional accomplishment and considerable insight into issues of public safety and the law,” Mayor Barrett said in the statement. “I am confident their addition will elevate the work of the commission to a new level.”
The FPC has been mired in controversy since the commission demoted former Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales last year. A judge ruled in Morales' favor last month, arguing his demotion was done without due process. The judge ordered the city to find a settlement with Morales - or give him his old job as chief back.
The city described the candidates as such:
Kessler is a retired Wisconsin Court of Appeals judge and a former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Kessler was also a partner at the Foley & Lardner law firm. She is a member and former president of the ACLU Milwaukee.
Ramey is Executive Director of MENTOR Greater Milwaukee, sits on the Milwaukee Board of Health, and serves as an adjunct professor at Cardinal Stritch University. Ramey majored in criminal law studies at Marquette University and earned a master’s degree in public administration from Marquette.
Fallone is an Associate Professor at Marquette University Law School, where he in part teaches constitutional law. He has held leadership roles in several organizations in Milwaukee’s Hispanic and immigrant community, according to the city.
