Staff & Leadership
Staff

Executive Director and Lead Organizer
Lisa Jones is the Executive Director and Lead Organizer of Milwaukee Inner-city Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH), a multi-racial, interfaith organization committed to addressing justice issues in the community. Lisa works diligently in all avenues of her life for racial justice and equity. Her calling in this work began when Jay Anderson was killed by the Wauwatosa Police Department in 2016 in Madison park less than a mile from her home. Lisa also has been engaged in racial justice work at both her local Brown Deer United Methodist Church with their “Conversations on Race” and in Metro Milwaukee as the Co-Chair of Rid Racism Milwaukee. Lisa’s work with MICAH includes working with the Coalition on Lead Emergency, COVID vaccine outreach with mobile clinics in congregations, and alternatives to prison are just a few of the work being done at MICAH.
Along with her work at MICAH she has recently been working on racial incidents in Milwaukee’s suburban communities in the schools and police departments. Lisa’s motto is if you want to see the change be the change, silence and inaction is not an option.
She can be reached at Lisa@micahmke.org.

Health Equity Organizer Diannia has worked in education for over 20 years. Her teaching philosophy has always been that kids learn best when they feel welcomed, valued, and safe. Diannia Merriett was born and raised in Milwaukee. She is the proud parent of one daughter and 3 foster children.
Diannia has been very active in amplifying the voice of marginalized people. In college she was the president of the Black student union. Diannia works to challenge and dismantle racism, and other forms of injustice in Milwaukee County and beyond in its community systems. She is the founder of “People Advocating Greendale Equity”.
“I am honored to be a part of MICAH because of their commitment to social justice by empowering people to work together for racial and economic justice.”
She can be reached at diannia@micahmke.org.

Office Administration
Viva Crape is the Office Admin of Milwaukee Inner-City Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH), a multi-racial, interfaith organization committed to addressing justice issues in the community. Viva transitioned from being a MICAH board member to working part time after being downsized from her previous corporate position at the beginning of the pandemic.
As time has progressed and this work has increased she has transitioned to full-time and says this work is “a WHOLE different element than corporate.” Learning to walk intimately with so many faith-based congregations, and organizations on this ‘like’ level has been a welcomed, but tremendous learning experience.
Viva’s motto is “If you can’t change the PEOPLE around you, CHANGE the people around you!”
She can be reached at office@micahmke.org.
Board of Directors
MICAH Board of Directors includes the Executive Leadership Team and two representatives from each of the Organizations/Congregations of MICAH.
Executive Leadership Team
- President Rev. Dr. Richard D. Shaw, Pastor, St. Matthew C.M.E. Church
- Vice President, Rev. Joseph H. Jackson, Jr. Pastor, Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
- Secretary, Joyce Ellwanger, Hephatha Lutheran Church
- Treasurer, Kathleen Schluter, United Methodist Church of Whitefish Bay
- Religious Caucus Chair, Janan Najeeb, President, Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition
Organizations/Congregations of MICAH
- All People’s Gathering – ELCA
- Bay Shore Lutheran Church
- Blessed Deliverance Baptist Church
- Canaan Missionary Baptist Church
- Christian Fellowship Community Church
- Congregation Shalom
- Congregation Shir Hadash
- Congregation Sinai
- Cross Lutheran Church
- Everlasting Covenant Kingdom Worship Ministries
- First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee
- Friendship Missionary Baptist Church
- Hephatha Lutheran Church
- Incarnation Lutheran Church
- Islamic Society of Milwaukee
- Kairos International Church
- Kingdom Empowered Ministries
- Lake Park Lutheran Church
- Lion of Judah Christian Ministries
- Milwaukee Buddhist Peace Fellowship
- Milwaukee Central United Methodist Church
- Milwaukee Friends Meeting
- Milwaukee Islamic Da’wah Center
- Milwaukee Muslim Women’s Coalition
- Mt. Zion Baptist Church
- Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church
- New Covenant Baptist Church
- New Hope Baptist Church
- Plymouth United Church of Christ
- Progressive Baptist Church
- Reformation Lutheran Church
- Ss. Cyril & Methodius Orthodox Church
- St. Benedict The Moor Catholic Church
- St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church
- St. Matthew Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
- St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church
- St. Sebastian Catholic Church
- Tikkun Ha-Ir of Milwaukee
- Unitarian Church North
- Unitarian Universalist Church West
- United Methodist of Whitefish Bay Whitefish Bay
- Wauwatosa United Methodist Church