Lafayette Crump wants his legacy to be that he believed in people and places, helped them achieve their highest aims, and pushed past them. “I want this to be true of my family, of myself, of my city, and of any organization to which I devote a significant amount of time and energy,” said Crump.
As the commissioner of city development for the City of Milwaukee, currently focusing his professional time on leading real estate and economic development in Milwaukee, Crump wants his legacy to be that he developed the agency’s expertise and commitment to the community while also creating opportunities for success, growth, and sustainability across the city – throughout all of its neighborhoods, industries and demographic clusters.
The Department of City Development (DCD) is the City of Milwaukee’s business and real estate development arm. Its mission is to improve the quality of life in Milwaukee by guiding and promoting development that creates jobs, builds wealth and strengthens the urban environment.
In the past year, Crump was instrumental in assisting with the attraction, support for, and execution of the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) in Milwaukee.
“As Milwaukee’s lead economic development officer, as a committee member for Milwaukee’s convention and visitors bureau, Visit Milwaukee, and as the former chief vendor and community engagement officer and deputy chief of staff of the 2020 DNC host committee, I was well positioned to help attract the RNC to Milwaukee, negotiate with the Republican National Committee on the terms of our agreement, negotiate with our city council to ensure broad local support for the convention, and serve on the city’s executive steering committee overseeing preparation for, and execution of, the convention,” said Crump.
Looking forward, Crump, a Titan 100 Hall of Famer, said the organization will lay the seeds for the development of Milwaukee as an aspirational example of rust-belt recovery and transformation. An important component of this work will be developing a sterling reputation for communication and collaboration with the community, with the city council and with the corporate sector.
As a leader, Crump said the values he embodies and fosters are honesty, commitment, collaboration and innovation. “I’m committed to the work that we do. When we tell people we are going to do something, we need to do it,” he said. “We know that we can get more done and get it done better when we work in tandem and in partnership with like-minded people and organizations.”
His leadership also includes mentoring the future generation of titans. “My advice to the next generation of titans is to find the sweet spot between staying true to yourself and legitimately and actively considering the opinions of others,” said Crump. “Continuous improvement sometimes means recognizing where you need to change course.”