LaMetra Murdock Receives Women's Leadership Network_REMOVEDCopyrighted
April 21, 2025
City of Dubuque PRESENTATIONS # 1.
City Council
ITEM TITLE: LaMetra Murdock Receives Women's Leadership Network
Women of Achievement Award
SUMMARY: Assistant City Manager Cori Burbach will recognize
Multicultural Family Center Director LaMetra Murdock for
receiving the Up and Coming Leader Award from the
Women's Leadership Network (WLN).
SUGGUESTED
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
1. 2025 Murdock WLN Women of Achievement
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WLN Women of Achievement Nomination
Up & Coming Leader: a young leader who is in the early stages of
their leadership journey and is demonstrating dynamic leadership
ability within her organization or her community
Nominee: LaMetra Murdock, Director, Multicultural Family Center
LaMetra's compassion for those in need, commitment to create a community in which all residents
feel accepted and supported, and contagious joy and smile are all infectious. For these reasons
and more, I am honored to tell you about the time she's been my colleague at the City of Dubuque,
and why she's an Up & Coming Leader in our community.
While LaMetra's may be a relatively new face in Dubuque, she has a rich life history that has taken
her to this moment where she's ready to lead. Notably, she spent years working for the City of
Chicago coordinating services for seniors trying to stay in their homes and unhoused residents
living on the streets and in shelters. These experiences have taught her about poverty, brain health
issues, violence, and more. She came to Dubuque in 2017 and has provided direct service to
countless families through her work at Hillcrest Family Services and the City of Dubuque's Family
Self -Sufficiency Program. During her time in the City's Housing department, LaMetra was a case
manager for families, helping them work through a variety of crises and find safe, affordable
housing. Our partners in providing these services will tell you she did so much more, working to
address systemic barriers to education, employment, housing, health care, food access, and
more, often for our most vulnerable populations, often acting beyond herjob description.
In 2024, LaMetra interviewed for an advancement position in the City. She walked in and told us
that while it pained her to consider stepping away from being the first call families made when in
need, she was ready and excited to fix the systems that were impacting them, making a bigger
influence. Since being named the Multicultural Family Center Director, she's been doing nothing
but that. She is working with multiple City departments to serve our residents, and has become an
intercultural competency trainer to help all staff understand perspectives different than their own
that help them relate to others with empathy. She can be found at the MFC at all hours of the day,
cooking food with Dubuque families, creating a safe space for teens, or welcoming visitors from all
over the world who see themselves within the walls of the Center. She will tell you she wants
Dubuque to be a place where everyone feels welcome, supported, and safe. She shares stories
from her own life and her families' history to build understanding with colleagues and community
members who were brought up differently than her. Last week, she (a black mom) and I (a white
mom) had a meaningful discussion about what it looks like today to raise children in this world. I
learn so much from her, and I am humbled by her.
LaMetra has said yes to opportunity to things like the Dubuque Chamber's Leadership Dubuque
program and joining the Dubuque Community Police Relations Committee (DCPRC). It is clear she
is open to expanding her connections in her community in order to expand her understanding and
impact. She is undeniably worthy of this award. She isn't afraid to lead with her own curiosity and
lean into uncomfortable conversations that leave those of us who have the opportunity to have
them with her better off. Not only is she an Up and Coming leader in Dubuque, but she's the type of
leader I think we need now.
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