Nikiya Q. Dodd, formerly Nikiya Harris (born February 22, 1975) is a Wisconsin educator and politician who formerly served as a

County Supervisor A board of supervisors is a governmental body that oversees the operation of county government in the U.S. states of Arizona, California, Iowa, Mississippi, Virginia, and Wisconsin, as well as 16 counties in New York. There are equivalent agenc ...

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin Milwaukee County is located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. At the 2020 census, the population was 939,489, down from 947,735 in 2010. It is both the most populous and most densely populated county in Wisconsin, and the 45th most populous cou ...

from 2010 through 2012, and as a Democratic member of the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

representing the 6th Senate district from 2013 to 2017. She served on the

Milwaukee Common Council The municipal government of the U.S. city of Milwaukee, located in the state of Wisconsin, consists of a mayor and common council. Traditionally supporting liberal politicians and movements, this community has consistently proved to be a strongho ...

from 2018, but has announced her retirement by the end of November 2022.

Early life, education, and career

Nikiya Harris was born and raised in Milwaukee. She is a graduate of Washington High School. A former pre-school teacher and pre-college coordinator, she graduated from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscon ...

with a bachelor's degree in community education and a

master's A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

degree in adult education. Prior to serving in elected office, Harris worked in fund development for the Urban Ecology Center. Through her work, she empowered families to take back their neighborhoods and communities through environmental initiatives such as urban gardening, safe and clean parks, and involvement in recreational activities.

Elected Office

Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors

On May 25, 2010, Nikiya Harris was elected 2nd District County Supervisor in an eleven-candidate race. After her election to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors, she opposed Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker's Voter ID law. She eased voter access to the polls by pushing forth an initiative that allowed thousands of Milwaukee residents to receive a free birth certificate. She also proposed and executed a successful plan to remove oversight of the Milwaukee House of Corrections from the County Sheriff. Under the new plan, oversight shifted to a superintendent appointed by the Milwaukee County Board.

Wisconsin Senate

In 2012, Supervisor Harris ran for state senate in Wisconsin's 6th Senate District in a heavily-contested five-way primary after former senator

Spencer Coggs G. Spencer Coggs (born August 6, 1949) is an American public administrator and Democratic politician. He is the current Milwaukee City Treasurer, since April 2012. He previously served 10 years in the Wisconsin State Senate and 20 years in th ...

was elected as County

Treasurer A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The significant core functions of a corporate treasurer include cash and liquidity management, risk management, and corporate finance. Government The treasury ...

. She won the primary with 47.9% of the vote. She was sworn into office on January 7, 2013. During the 2013–2014

legislative session A legislative session is the period of time in which a legislature, in both parliamentary and presidential systems, is convened for purpose of lawmaking, usually being one of two or more smaller divisions of the entire time between two election ...

, Harris served on a number of committees in the

Wisconsin State Legislature The Wisconsin Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The Legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house, Wisconsin State Senate, and the lower Wisconsin State Assembly, both of which have had Republ ...

, including Education, Government Operations, Public Works, and Telecommunications, Judiciary and Labor, and Law Revision. She also served on the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules. Harris Dodd currently serves on the Legislative Council Study Committee on Adoption Disruption and Dissolution, which held its first meeting in July 2014. During the same legislative session, Harris pushed for an increase to the minimum wage, access to job training, and affordable healthcare. She also put forth initiatives to repair Milwaukee's foreclosure crisis and reform Wisconsin's criminal justice system and mental health system. In April 2014, Harris' bill creating the Milwaukee County Emergency Detention Pilot Program was signed into law. The program puts the authority to initiate emergency detentions into the hands of qualified mental health professionals rather than solely in the hands of the police. The law is intended to stop negative police interjection into mental health crisis situations. She did not seek re-election in 2016, and was succeeded by fellow Democrat

La Tonya Johnson La Tonya Johnson (born June 22, 1972) is an American activist and politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She serves in the Wisconsin State Senate, representing the seat formerly held by Nikiya Harris Dodd, having easily defeated her opponents in ...

Milwaukee Common Council

In 2018 she was elected as a Milwaukee City Alderman for the 5th District in a

special election A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, a bye-election in Ireland, a bypoll in India, or a Zimni election (Urdu: ضمنی انتخاب, supplementary election) in Pakistan, is an election used to f ...

. In November 2022, Dodd (who had been missing a number of meetings) announced that she was resigning by the end of the month " e to serious family and medical issues that have taken priority".

Personal life

Determined to keep her siblings out of the

foster care Foster care is a system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home ( residential child care community, treatment center, etc.), or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family ...

system after her mother's death, Harris became guardian to three of her younger siblings and raised them herself. Harris Dodd and her husband, Anthony Dodd Sr., live on Milwaukee's west side. On October 12, 2014, she gave birth to Anthony Thomas Dodd Jr.Harris Dodd, Nikiya. ''Nikiya's Capitol News'' October 2014 Harris Dodd is a member of the

Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for worke ...

, as well as a member of the Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council and the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority Board (WHEDA). She also serves on the Community Advisory Board for Felmers Chaney Correctional Center and is the vice-chair of the Milwaukee Black Male Achievement Advisory Council.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris Dodd, Nikiya 1975 births Living people Politicians from Milwaukee County supervisors in Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Democratic Party Wisconsin state senators Women state legislators in Wisconsin 21st-century American politicians 21st-century American women politicians