Mouzon Named Dubuque’s Community Impact Director

As community impact director, Antonio will report directly to the city manager and lead the activities of the City's newly formed community impact department. Previously, the City's community impact activities and staff, including the AmeriCorps Program, community outreach and impact programs, equitable fine and fee reform, and prevention and diversion services, were a division of the City's leisure services department. The new department will include current community impact staff and activities as well as the staff and activities of the Multicultural Family Center.

"Antonio came to the City of Dubuque from a leadership position at the University of Dubuque with an impressive educational background," said Van Milligen. "In the last year, his understanding of how to realize important outcomes has led to achieving impressive customer service results. Now Antonio will be in a position to achieve outcomes on a much broader scale."

In addition to overall management of the department, Antonio's duties will include:

• Working with city departments to achieve equitable fine and fee reform and prevention and diversion outcomes, and forward movement of poverty reduction initiatives.
• Collaborating with individuals and organizations to identify community needs, leverage community assets, and solve community problems through a collective impact model.
• Increasing understanding and knowledge of community members on the impacts of poverty and responding to the needs of communities disproportionately impacted by poverty.
• Partnering with organizations and City departments to create equitable outcomes for community members disproportionately impacted by poverty.
• Conducting studies, collecting and analyzing data, reporting on performance, and utilizing for program development and improvements.
• Preparing and administering state and federal grant applications, reports, and correspondence.

Community impact department staff reporting to Antonio will include AmeriCorps Coordinator Sarah Berna, Community Services and Outreach Coordinator Brittney Hayes, Community Diversion and Prevention Coordinator Miranda Onofre, Administrative Assistant Anne Marie Greenwood, and his replacement as the Multicultural Family Center director.

"I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served as the director of the Multicultural Family Center. Together, we have built a strong and vibrant organization that continues to make a significant impact in our community. I am proud of the inclusive and supportive environment we have fostered, the strong partnerships we have developed, and the unwavering dedication and passion of our staff and board of directors," said Antonio.

"As I transition into the role of community impact director, I am excited to continue supporting the incredible work of the Multicultural Family Center while also collaborating with additional divisions within our department to help our community connect to many of the resources and opportunities available," he added. "I look forward to serving in this new capacity, working to create more inclusive and equitable opportunities, and amplifying our positive impact within our community."

Antonio brings a broad range of relevant experience to the new role. As the City's Multicultural Family Center director, he worked with the Multicultural Family Center board of directors to continue to further the mission of empowering all families of Dubuque to reach their potential and build unity through diversity, equity, and inclusion. Prior to that role, Antonio served the University of Dubuque as an instructor of personal empowerment focused on emotional intelligence. He led work with the Bridge Scholars Program, which assists many first-generation, underprepared, and historically marginalized students to develop personally, professionally, and academically, inspiring them through a successful collegiate career.

Before working at the University of Dubuque, Antonio was a Family Support Specialist with Families First Counseling where he worked with diverse families on developing healthy social skills to improve behavior within the home and in the community, as well as connecting children and families to community resources and supports. He also served as a Youth Care Worker for Hillcrest Family Services where he supervised diverse youth ages 12-17 in teaching skills needed to encourage healthy relationships, supportive living skills, and anger management.

Antonio and his wife, Alicia, also launched a health and wellness studio, Mindset Nutrition, to promote educational resources that allow community members from diverse backgrounds grow holistically. They address nutrition and the mental, emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being of community members.

Prior to moving to Dubuque in 2006, Antonio lived in Germany for three years as part of a military family where he actively pursued many opportunities around the world to broaden his world view and love for diversity. Overseas is where he found his passion for multiculturism and the importance of embracing and uniting diverse communities.

He holds a bachelor's degree in health, wellness and recreation and a master's in communications from the University of Dubuque. Currently, Antonio is pursuing a doctorate in higher education, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion, from Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, Calif.

The search for a new director of the Multicultural Family Center will begin immediately.

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