Dawn Barnett

Dawn Barnett

Dawn Barnett is the Co-Executive Director for Running Rebels Community Organization (RRCO). Dawn works alongside her husband and RRCO’s Founder and Executive Director, Victor Barnett, to provide services and programs to Milwaukee’s youth and families. With 41 years of experience, Running Rebels is proud to be one of Milwaukee oldest Black founded and led youth-serving organizations. Running Rebels annually serves 2,500 primarily Black youth ages 12 – 25 with prevention and intervention mentoring program. Running Rebels offers youth a structured brotherhood and sisterhood of supportive role models, educational support, workforce development services, high-quality arts activities, an acclaimed athletics program, wellness, and after school and summer safe space designed to keep kids safe and off the streets during out-of-school hours.
With over 24 years of experience working with at-risk youth in the areas of crisis stabilization, mentoring, secondary therapy, music education, job coaching, personal leadership and life skills, Dawn Barnett is also a trained facilitator for JCIP (Juvenile Cognitive Intervention Program), Community Works, Restorative Justice and Nonviolent Communication; using her musical interests to raise awareness to human issues. Dawn currently serves on the Secretary’s Advisory Council on Youth Justice for the State of Wisconsin and, as a senior facilitator for the Community Building Institute, has assisted with training leaders throughout the US and Europe in the Community Building Workshop process. In 2018, Dawn was named a Woman of Influence by the Milwaukee Business Journal.