The Green Bay Packers have announced Mai J. Lo Lee as the team's 2024 Inspire Change Changemaker, an annual award given to local leaders who are making a difference in their community across the NFL's Inspire Change initiative's four pillars of education, economic advancement, police-community relations, or criminal justice reform.
An influential member of the community in Northeast Wisconsin for more than 17 years, Lo Lee has tirelessly nurtured belonging, wellbeing and inclusion for underrepresented groups through her advocacy and educational endeavors.
Lo Lee currently serves as the culture and engagement strategist for the Division of Public Health at the Department of Health Services for the State of Wisconsin. After growing up in a refugee family on a ginseng farm in Central Wisconsin, she earned her bachelor's degree at UW-Eau Claire and her master's in education from UW-La Crosse. Prior to her time working for the Department of Health Services, she spent 16 years with UW-Green Bay, serving as Multi-Ethnic Director of Student Affairs and Senior Multicultural Advisor.
In 2023, Lo Lee was honored with the Insight Difference Maker Community Award and the Fox Cities Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Educator Award for her profound contributions to community and education in Northeast Wisconsin. In 2021, she was appointed to the Governor's Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion, crafting a sustainable framework to elevate diversity, equity and inclusion practices. She has served on the boards of Wisconsin Public Radio, Green Bay Botanical Garden and the Untitled Town Book and Author Festival.
Lo Lee has also been involved in Toward One Wisconsin, Wisconsin Leadership Summit, Wisconsin Women's Leadership Summit, Celebrate Diversity – Fox Cities and the Service League of Green Bay Back-to-School Store, among many other initiatives.
"We are pleased to honor Mai for the work she has done in our community by naming her our Inspire Change Changemaker award recipient," said Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy. "Her advocacy and commitment to social justice spans a wide range of initiatives, positively impacting so many lives throughout Wisconsin, and we are proud to recognize her with this award."
Lo Lee will be recognized at the Packers' Inspire Change game on Monday, Dec. 23, against the New Orleans Saints for her extraordinary work in pursuit of social justice. As the award recipient, Lo Lee will receive a $10,000 donation from the NFL Foundation to the nonprofit organization of her choice, which she will direct toward the Fox Valley Literacy Program.
Each NFL club annually recognizes a community leader for the Changemaker award. Leaguewide, this year's Changemakers include entrepreneurs, activists and advocates who will be recognized and celebrated for their work – as individuals or as part of a community organization – before kickoff during the league's annual Inspire Change Weeks during weeks 15 and 16.
"The NFL and Inspire Change take pride in recognizing the incredible efforts of these 32 Changemakers who go above and beyond to make a difference in the lives of those around them," said Anna Isaacson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility. "Their dedication, compassion, and remarkable achievements inspire us all and serve as a powerful reminder of the impact one dedicated person can make in their community."
For more information on Inspire Change and the Changemaker Award, visit NFL.com/Changemakers.
