My Wellpoint Care Why- Board Member Jack Nelson

As Jack Nelson’s career in finance was winding down and he was settling into retirement, a friend asked if he would be willing to be a math tutor for a few hours a week for students at Capitol West Academy, a public charter school formerly housed on the Wellpoint Care Network campus.

He never expected that that would lead to 15 years of Board engagement and work to enrich the lives of children across the city of Milwaukee.

“Right away, I realized that the kids at Capitol West Academy wanted to succeed, but their environment didn’t allow them to,” said Nelson. “Factors like transportation were creating these hidden barriers.”

Shortly after, Nelson became Board Chair of Capitol West Academy and worked to “level the playing field.”

“We wanted these students to have the same pathway to success as students going to school just a couple miles away. We were addressing the gaps and highlighting the difference it made in these kids’ lives.”

Nelson says his favorite memory of his time working with Capitol West Academy was taking students on a field trip to The Wilson Center for an Irish dancing performance. Coming from the inner city of Milwaukee, the majority of kids had never seen such a thing and were blown away.

But the highlight was the closing performer, a young African American man.

“Our students were in awe, and said ‘hey, he looks like me! I can do that?’ And we said, ‘Yes, you can be whatever you want to be!’ We just have to make sure that they have an fair pathway to get there. That’s all we need to do, they can do the rest.”

Even after Capitol West Academy closed, Nelson decided to continue his work on Wellpoint Care Network’s Board of Directors.

“That’s my why– creating that pathway to success for kids in our community,” adds Nelson.

One of those pathways is the ongoing transformation of our 18-acre campus on Milwaukee’s northwest side. Updates to date have included a Well-being Wing and newly renovated Social Hall.

“My background is in finance, so when I first heard about the amount of money being spent on renovations, I was like, ‘Woah! All you need is some tables and chairs.’ But the first time I sat in the Social Hall, I could see the value instantly. I was entering into an open, bright, inclusive space. The first step towards getting children and families on that pathway to success is when they walk in the door. You can now see when kids walk in that they accept this as a safe place, a place of growth and a place of opportunity.”

Wellpoint Care Network hosts several community events throughout the year — from our annual Back to School Bash to Diapers for Dads. Nelson encourages anyone with some time and interest to volunteer and learn more about our organization.

“When you’re there, just look at the excitement on the kids’ faces,” added Nelson. “You’ll be asking, ‘When’s the next event? How else can I get involved?’”

That was proven to be the case for the Elmbrook Rotary Club, where Nelson was also on the Board of Directors.

“Once they started volunteering and learning about the work, they wanted to keep doing more. Now when an event is coming up, it’s not, ‘can we provide some volunteers’ but ‘how many do you need?’ As a local service club, we don’t want to just write a check. We want to believe in the mission of the organization and be as involved as we can. That’s what we have with Wellpoint Care Network.”

Wellpoint Care Network’s partnership with Elmbrook Rotary dates back many years. The local Rotarians volunteer at our annual Back to School Bash, end-of-year foster care celebration, and other events. They also give gifts each year to children in our Treatment Foster Care program, as well as contribute to our community garden.

Learn how YOU can get involved! Wellpoint Care Network serves more than 7,500 individuals across Wisconsin annually, and with your help, we can reach even more.

Together, we can create a world where every child and family can thrive.