Nikotris Perkins
Public Allies Milwaukee 1999-2000
A proud native of Milwaukee, WI, Nikotris Perkins is a Black woman steadfast in helping create a more equitable society. Whether facilitating a workshop, providing training or delivering one of her signature talks, Nikotris is able to help institutions develop organization-wide key performance indicators as an integral part of embedding equity into culture, and ensuring progress is being made without apology. Nikotris Perkins is a proven leader and a true advocate for demanding consistent self reflection and vulnerable accountability from everyone including herself. Dedicated to together, she believes we can correct mistakes corporately, and take bold actions to develop better leaders and ambassadors for tomorrow.
Tell us about your leadership?
I am an inclusive leader. Not by word but by action. It means that I focus on moving past empathy to compassion, it means that I am not a supervisor or manager but instead a coach. Moving in curiosity and awareness of my bias I lead with the desire collaborate. I have extensive experience and it is only my own. So, my leadership is the type that seeks the perspective and experiences of others as we work toward a common goal . My leadership is bold. humble, and centers the voices those too often excluded.
Which Public Allies core value resonates with you the most and why?
Narrowing down the values is a challenge as all resonate with me and I can clearly describe how and why they are central to my leadership and the success of anyone or organization focused on developing leaders.
The value I will describe with thought of the national service for Public Allies is integrity. All too often, integrity falls short to what is thought to be information that people do not need. It is the value that demands transparency in process and decision making for an organization dedicated to uplifting the voice and experience of those that have been historically missing from the conversation. As a leader one will make mistakes and integrity that moves past "oops" and into repairing harm, accountable action, and addressing the erosion of trust in addition to building relationships is why integrity is this value aligns with my leadership and expectations of my leaders.
Anything else you'd like to share?
I think Public Allies is a national treasure and a staple in the community. I have lived in multiple markets and been in multiple positions 90% of which I leverage the training and leaders that come from or work with Public Allies.
My desire to serve is based on my desire for Public Allies to be a sustainable organizational that is seen as a model for public service. A go to for those that seek to develop their skills and utilize the non profit sector to create the society needed to dismantle systems and condition that stigmatize, marginalize, exclude, and oppress people based on ability, race, gender, and socio economic identity.