Makda Fessahaye decided in 7th grade that she wanted to be a lawyer.
Her parents moved to the U.S. from Eritrea before she was born, but it was their experiences that inspired her to start looking at a career in law.
“My family was dealing with some immigration issues, so I realized at that point how critical it was to have a good attorney that really cared about the individual.”
She earned her undergraduate degree in communications at Northwestern University before moving on to Marquette University Law School. “Because I’m Type A and a planner, I just kept going.”
Her law degree eventually led her into a career in administration and human resources.
Fessahaye joined UWM in April as associate vice chancellor and chief human resources officer.
About the same time, the Milwaukee Business Journal recognized her career and her volunteer work, selecting her for one of the publication’s 2022 “40 Under 40” awards.
Fessahaye’s interest in human resources grew out of law school internships at Milwaukee Public Schools and the Wauwatosa School District.
“That was my first experience in understanding how employment law and human resources work together.” So, when she graduated, she looked for a position that melded both interests.
Her first job out of law school was working for the Department of Corrections as an employee relations specialist. She was eventually promoted to legal counsel for the department.
In January 2019, Gov. Tony Evers...
A former security officer at Reno’s Peppermill Casino claims its facial recognition technology routinely misidentified customers, sometimes producing as many as 12 false matches with 100% confidenc...