Dawn Crim named new special assistant for community relations

Dawn Crim has been selected from a national search process to lead community relations initiatives for the University of Wisconsin–Madison, effective Jan. 1, 2009, Chancellor Carolyn “Biddy” Martin announced today.

Crim will formally take on the role of special assistant to Chancellor Martin for community relations after having served as acting director since March 2007, when LaMarr Billups left the post for a leadership position at Georgetown University.

“Dawn has done an excellent job as acting director in building and maintaining UW–Madison’s many diverse relationships with surrounding communities, and her energy and talent will continue to serve both the region and university well,” says Martin.

“Although we have a very good base to build from,” says Crim, “I am looking forward to expanding the office’s reach in key areas such as the business community, where we have opportunities to partner for the betterment of the region.”

The Office of Community Relations oversees a wide range of efforts where town and gown interests intersect, including downtown economic development, relationships with campus-area neighborhoods, and east- and west- campus planning and working closely with the Madison Metropolitan School District. The office also works on policy issues related to curbing high-risk drinking and assists in representing the university on planning teams for major events such as Halloween and the Mifflin Street Block Party.

The community relations director plays a key role as a contributor to the university relations team that will also include communications, alumni, corporate and state relations. The director works closely with the Madison mayor and city council, the Dane County executive and board, and other governmental bodies across the region.

This position also works to assist civic and nonprofit organizations in the region, and oversees the Villager Mall-Campus Community Partnerships Office, which — along with Madison Area Technical College, UW-Extension and Edgewood College — is working on south Madison economic and community development.

Since spring 2004, Crim has served as a special assistant in the community relations office, where she assisted former Director Billups on a wide range of functions, including representing the university at city meetings and other functions.

Since joining the office, Crim has been involved in a number of high-profile initiatives, including:

• Continuing work on behalf of the university’s Labor Licensing Policy Committee to address worker rights issues of companies licensed to produce UW apparel. Crim visited an adidas plant in El Salvador in April 2007 to explore allegations of workers being discriminated against for their activism. She also worked to terminate a licensing contract in January 2008 of a company after repeated allegations of discrimination.
• Creating and executing an age verification program by issuing electronic ID scanners to campus-area retailers, helping to ensure that patrons buying alcohol are of legal age.
• Helping explore and identify more campus-based opportunities for students on Halloween, after State Street parties grew increasingly problematic for the city.
• Steering the university’s efforts to license two companies to manufacture and sell UW “Fair Trade” apparel in the University Bookstore.
• Working with the City of Madison mayor’s office to develop a first of its kind, jointly funded position of alcohol policy coordinator to address the high level of alcohol use and abuse in the city.
• Leading the development of Spectrum Magazine, a community publication making its debut this month that showcases the diversity of the Madison area.

From 1996-2000, Crim served as an assistant basketball coach at UW–Madison. From 2000-2004, Crim worked at Learning Innovations, an e-learning support organization run by UW-Extension.