About Alder Kristen Slack

I have been a professor at UW-Madison for 23 years. I teach and conduct research on social welfare issues like child maltreatment prevention, reducing poverty, and the effects of government programs and policy choices on individual, family, and community well-being. I am also the founder of an educational technology company. 

I began serving on Madison's Common Council on April 18, 2023, after being elected as alder for District 19. I have lived in the Spring Harbor neighborhood on Madison's west side for 10 years and in the Madison area for 23 years. My husband and I have four kids between us, ranging in age from 15 to 28. My two boys are the products of MMSD schools in District 19.

I grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan and went to college at the University of Michigan. I then attended graduate school at the University of Chicago where I received my MSW and PhD in Social Work and Social Welfare.

I have dedicated my entire career to finding structural and system-level solutions to poverty and calling out government practices and policies that create or exacerbate inequities in income, health, family stability, community safety, housing, education, and legal justice. I care a lot about the health of the local lakes and waterways, the safety of our drinking water, protecting our local natural resources and environment, and reversing climate change.

I also care deeply about democracy and representative government. I don't believe these things end with an election. Process matters. I will work to improve transparency in City government, to improve the City's community engagement infrastructure, and to make it easier to find information and instructions for participating in local government on the City's website.

Please subscribe to my email listserv to stay up-to-date on City and District 19 information. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram @KristenSlackD19.