The Navigator Award
Honors an outstanding individual that has provided leadership and collaboration for change
Finalist: James Godsil
James Godsil is a Milwaukee renaissance man.
After working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference as a civil rights organizer, a bodyguard for Martin Luther King, a Fulbright Scholar in Tunis, and a political science professor, at 28 Godsil came to Milwaukee -- and found home.
For 30 years, Godsil was a roofer, growing Godsil Community Roofing and Restoration. At the same time, he mentored countless aspiring contractors who have built successful careers acrossMilwaukee. At the same Godsil planted seeds all over the Milwaukee community as a prolific activist, organizer, and storyteller.
Then, at 60, he began volunteering for Growing Power.
Taking significant financial risk, Godsil invested himself entirely into renovating a century old abandoned Bay View railroad factory in 2008 to launch Sweet Water Organics -- the nation's largest aquaponic farm. He also created Sweetwater Foundation to educate Milwaukee school children, veterans, and the community about agriculture, nutrition, biology, and environment. The Foundation has a network of 25 schools locally and nation-wide.
And THIS, is a huge new discovery for me about this Lightworker:
