Meet Dora Drake!

Dora Drake is a born and raised Milwaukeean who was born and raised in the Graceland neighborhood. She was accepted into the Educational Opportunities Program at Marquette University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Social Welfare and Justice in 2015. Shortly after, Dora worked as a Pretrial Case Manager at JusticePoint for two years and provide the courts documentation while providing resources to clientele such as housing, AODA treatment, and employment. She, with the help of colleagues and YWCA of Southeast WI, also implemented a racial-bias training for JusticePoint’s employees statewide. Dora also facilitated trauma-informed response training sessions for criminal justice professionals.

Dora became more involved in politics and landed as the campaign manager for Shyla Deacon’s campaign for MPS School Board in District 1. Even though the campaign lost in the 2019 Spring election by small a margin, Dora gained a deeper insight about the challenges teachers, children, and families face surrounding education. She also went through the Emerge training program and is an alum of the 2020 cohort.

Following the election, Dora worked as a Member Service Coordinator at the Center for Self Sufficiency where she provided re-entry services to justice-impacted individuals such as workforce preparation, financial literacy, assistance in finding housing, and trauma-informed workshops. But during the pandemic, Dora wanted to have a larger tangible impact on those she served in her community.

Dora ran for office and was elected for the 11th State Assembly seat in November 2020. In her first term, Dora Drake has approximately 20 bills signed into law such as ensuring legal protections for children and sexual assault victims, and support for small business owners. Click here to learn about her accomplishments.