The Office of University Relations has announced the appointment of Kelsey Otero, director of innovation in Marquette’s 707 Hub, as senior director of community engagement.
In this new role, Otero will serve as the chief community engagement officer, leading and cultivating collaborative, bi-directional relationships with local, state, regional, national, and global communities to advance the mission and vision of Marquette. She will be the recognized institutional representative for engagement in the community and will explore and promote community-engaged opportunities for Marquette students, faculty and staff.
“We are beyond thrilled to have identified the perfect candidate to lead our community engagement efforts in Kelsey Otero,” said Rana Altenburg, associate vice president of public affairs. “Through the 707 Hub, Kelsey has already been a visible presence for Marquette in the community through innovative programming, providing support to area business owners. She is active in the near west side and a champion for both Near West Side Partners and the community at large.”
Otero co-launched the 707 Hub in 2017, through which she has run business bootcamps for community entrepreneurs and works to build the social innovation ecosystem in Wisconsin. In addition, she serves as co-chair of the Near West Side Commercial Corridor Working Team, volunteers on the Fund Milwaukee board, and runs the popular Rev-Up MKE business pitch competition for Near West Side Partners. Otero was selected to the Anchor Fellows Program with the Anchor Institutions Task Force, an action-oriented learning community, in October. The Anchor Fellows Program adds a dimension to the existing training of future anchor leaders by preparing a next generation to successfully navigate the engagement of anchors in their local communities.
“I am very happy for Kelsey and proud of the work she has done in establishing the 707 Hub as a vital tool for innovation that is a true asset to the students of Marquette and business owners in the near west side,” said Dr. Jeanne Hossenlopp, vice president for research and innovation. “Through her work, she has established a strong reputation of collaboration within the community, one which will only benefit her as she takes on this new role.”
Otero will work with the 707 Hub to assist in the transition until a replacement is found.
The 707 Hub is a student innovation space powered by the Kohler Center for Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Initiative and was created to foster cross-disciplinary innovation and collaboration across campus and in the community. The center recently received the 2022 award for Outstanding Student Engagement and Leadership at a university with more than 5,000 students from the Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers.
Otero joined Marquette in 2014. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and earned her MBA from Marquette. In 2019, she was recognized as one of Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 winners.
