Kari Southern

Kari Southern is a lecturer in the Social Work Department at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She holds a master’s degree in public and nonprofit administration from Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis and a bachelor's degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is the deputy director of the Public Policy Institute at Community Advocates, which is a basic needs advocacy-focused nonprofit located in Milwaukee.

Kari has spent most of her career focused on macro-level social work in a variety of spaces, and as a first-generation college graduate she loves connecting with college students to share her knowledge. She has extensive experience in nonprofit administration, program building, training and technical assistance for nonprofits, community coalition building, community outreach, substance use prevention, and policy work. Other areas of experience include child welfare, mental health and housing. Kari serves on the Board of Directors for CORE El Centro, a health and wellness focused nonprofit in Milwaukee.

Education:

• Master of Public and Nonprofit Administration (MPNA), Metropolitan State University
• BSW, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee