“Nino Amato has a successful record of building bridges between local law enforcement and communities of color. His leadership as Chair of Madison’s Special Task Force on Race Relations & Racial Profiling — and the task force recommendations, received endorsements from the NAACP, the Greater Urban League, Madison Police Union and 19 of 20 elected Madison Common Council members and past and present Mayors of Madison.”
– Noble Wray & David Couper –
Former Madison Police Chiefs
“Nino Amato is an enlightened community leader, who has an impressive executive record as a collaborative leader at the helm of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging & Health Groups (CWAG). During his 10+ years as the CEO-President of CWAG, Nino’s leadership has improved the quality of life for the vast majority of Wisconsin’s 1.4 million seniors and citizens with disabilities.”
Barbara Lawton
President and CEO of Americans for Campaign Finance Reform Former Two-Term Lt. Governor (D) State of Wisconsin Women-In-Business Entrepreneur
"Nino has been a community leader and advocate for LBGTQ rights and our citizens of color, during his professional career as an a senior executive in the health care and energy business sectors; as an elected official and as a former member of the UW Board of Regents. Without questions, Nino’s position on policy issues is solidly backed with facts and research – and he is seldom inflexible because he welcomes feedback and input from others, to reach a conclusion.”
Steve Starkey
Executive Director OutReach, South Central Wisconsin’s LGBTQ Community Member, We Are Many United Against Hate Advisory Board of Directors
“I serve with Nino when he was elected to two terms, as the Vice-Chair of the Dane County NAACP Branch. Nino is a modern-day renaissance and social justice advocate. Nino has a long-proven history in defending citizen’s civil rights, advocating for criminal justice reform – and closing the racial divide on social and economic justice issues.”
William A. “Bill” Franks
Chief Steward Emeritus, Wisconsin Employees Council (AFT-W 4848) Founding Charter Member, Wisconsin NAACP Dane County Branch
"Nino has been on the frontline of social and economic justice issues during his entire adult life and making Madison and our state a more inclusive community. Without question, Nino has been a valuable civic leader, in addressing the urgency of closing the growing racial disparities, by walking his talk on healthcare, economic and educational inequalities.”
Betty (Mitchell) Banks
In Solidarity for Social & Economic Justice; Life-Long Madisonian & Healthcare Advocate
"Nino Amato is an experienced and accomplished individual, who is an action-oriented community leader. During Nino’s entire public life and professional career, he has focused on improving the access and the affordability of our public universities and colleges; advocating for a renewable energy future; and is a strong advocate on closing the unjust and unfair racial disparities in Madison and throughout our state."
Masood Akhtar
Founder & Pres. – We Are Many United Against Hate President/CEO – Clean TechPartners Inc. Renewable Energy Advocate & Entrepreneur
"Nino Amato has a wealth of knowledge and experience at every level of government and at senior executive levels in corporate America. I have relied on his expertise and insights on numerous issues facing our communities and our state. Nino is highly repsected for his tireless leadership and expertise in developing environmental and economic sustainability public policy.”
Samba Baldeh
Wisconsin State Assembly Representative. Madison (D-48th Dist) Former 3-Term Madison Common Council & Council President Former IT Executive, American Family Insurance Company
“Nino has an effective track-record in increasing affordable housing, advocating for accessible and affordable higher education and criminal justice reform. Very few people can match Nino Amato’s historic commitment, giving back to society and helping others in need.”
Ricardo Gonzalez
Former City of Madison Alderperson; Cardinal Bar Owner & Founder Madison-Camaguey Sister-Cities Assoc.
“Nino Amato is a person of unquestionable integrity and seemingly boundless energy, in his fight to improve the quality of life for all our children. In his various public and private sector leadership roles, Nino has been an effective and fair leader, who is well informed and is a successful problem solving.”
Carolyn Hardgrove Mitchill
Retired Healthcare Professional; Social & Economic Citizen Advocate
"I have witnessed first-hand Nino’s leadership and knowledge on a broad range of social and economic justice issues that impact our community – particularly as it relates to improving race relations and rebuilding public trust between local law enforcement and our communities of color.”
Alfonso Zepeda-Capistrán
Bi-Racial Public Educator; Human Rights Advocate
"Nino Amato is a shining community leader, who has dedicated his entire professional and personal life, fighting for social and economic justice in the areas of public education, universal healthcare, criminal justice reform and reversing today’s growing racial inequalities.”
Brenda J. Brown
Human Resource Professional; Civil Rights Advocate
“Nino Amato has the depth and substantive experience that Madison and our state desperately needs during these unprecedented and challenging times. Without question, Nino is an effective leader and a consistent progressive advocate who puts community needs over political self interests.”
David Clarenbach
Former Madison State Assembly Representative; Progressive Advocate & Recovering Politician
“Nino Amato has been a staunch and an effective leader for the elderly and individuals with disabilities throughout Wisconsin. He has been an invaluable political asset, when it comes to increasing funding for our K-12 public schools districts and for closing the racial disparities in education, healthcare and in our criminal justice system.”
Nicole Vander Meulen
Elected - Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Attorney At Law
“Nino Amato provides a much needed fresh and visionary perspective on today’s political challenges and the racial disparities that have harmed Madison and our state. Nino’s commitments to economic and educational opportunities always put out children of color first and partisan politics on the back-burner.”
Steve Braunginn
Former Dane Cty Board Supervisor & Former Exec. Director, Madison Urban League
“There is no one better at working to ensure necessary local and community services for families, their children and those citizens with special needs than Nino Amato. I am especially appreciative for Nino’s work and advocacy for those in the mental health/behavioral health community and am proud of Nino’s deep commitment to improving the quality of life for all our citizens in Wisconsin.”
Linda Keys
Mental Health Professional & Educational Advocate
“The combination of Nino Amato’s real world experience, proven leadership credentials and deep roots in the community – along with his commitment to public service, make’s Nino an outstanding community team-member. Lastly, Nino is highly respected for his bi-partisanship leadership during these toxic political times and will always add value and get results, to any cause he commits himself to.”
Mike McCabe
Author & Former Exec. Director WI. Democracy Campaign
“Nino Amato has a long professional and civic minded career, which has covered the realms of our most pressing issues today; healthcare accesses and quality outcomes, improving environmental standards for our drinking water, mitigating Climate Change and finding new solutions; and in his efforts in closing the growing racial disparities in our community.”
Susan Pastor
Madison Clean Water Advocate; Former Co-Chair, Progressive Dane
“There is no one more committed to making Madison a more inclusive community the Nino Amato. His decades of actions on Civil and Human rights, which has been Nino’s long standing passion for most of his adult life — has made a difference in other people’s lives. Nino is an excellent listener who respects the opinions of others even if there different from his own."
Edith Hilliard
Lifetime Resident of Madison; Retired WPL/Alliant Executive
“Nino Amato has consistently walked his talk as a environmental steward and has a long, successful history in serving our community – and is committed to serving the 9th Aldermanic District, while bringing a depth of experience and practical knowledge to the Madison Common Council.”
Don Ferber
Environmental Advocate & former Chair John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Cub
“Nino has a lifetime of documented community achievements. After 60 plus years of failed initiatives to build Madison’s first public community pool, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz reinstituted the city’s Pool Site Selection Committee and named Nino Amato as its chair. Not only did Nino and the Mayor win over-whelming voters support in a city-wide referendum to build Madison’s first community pool – Nino also played a major leadership role in obtaining the necessary regulatory approval for building Madison’s first public community pool in record time. With the support of Mayor Dave and members of the Madison Common Council, the new community pool was named the “Erwin & Robert Goodman Community Pool” for their generous financial support and for their decades of support for the Madison-Dane County Community"
Robert Pricer
Professor Emeritus UW-Madison School of Business
"If you want to get things done and solve our pressing issues facing our community and state – and want to move Wisconsin towards a progressive future, then Nino Amato is the person to help make that happen. Nino is the kind of leader who knows how to get political leaders engaged and how to get things done. Not only is Nino a person of integrity, he walks his talk on government transparency and holding our elected officials accountable – which are rare qualities in today’s toxic politics.”
John Matthews
Former Executive Director for Madison’s Teachers Union (MTI) Madison Metropolitan School District K-12
"I have worked with Nino Amato as a member of the nonprofit We Are Many United Against Hate and have seen firsthand his effective ideas and solutions in addressing the urgent need to reduce Madison’s racial disparities in healthcare, education and in the criminal justice system. Without question, Nino is a compassionate community leader, who has committed himself to making Madison a more inclusive city for all of its citizens and children."
Caroline Tu Farley
Program Director of the Linda and Gene Farley Center For Peace, Justice & Sustainability & Advisory Board Member for We Are Many United Against Hate
“Having worked with Nino for many years, I admire his professional demeanor and his collaborative leadership skills. Nino has always cared about our community and his commitment to public service is immeasurable. Nino and I served on the Madison Cultural Arts District Board which oversees the $205 Million Overture Performing Arts Center. It was Nino’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, which has made the Overture Center a more inclusive performing arts facility for all our citizens and school children.”
Bill Keys
Former Madison School Board Member; Retired West High School English Teacher
"Nino Amato has been instrumental in his efforts in protecting Madison’s environmental natural habitats, greenways and neighborhood parks He has also been an active and an effective voice for preserving the Sauk Creek Woods Natural Habitat, protecting and improving Madison’s quality drinking water from man-made chemicals (PFAS) and is a strong advocate for cleaning up Madison’s lakes.”
Michael Riley
Attorney Michael Riley; Co-Chair, Sauk Creek Woods Preservation Committee
