Thursday, January 30, 2025
Clementine “Clem” Allen, a longtime staff member with Milwaukee Recreation, has been named the 2024 Barbara Leszczynski Customer Service Award winner!
This award, now in its 15th year, is named after Barbara Leszczynski, a former Milwaukee Recreation clerical team member known for her empathy and customer service.
Past winners of the award include: David Hojnacki (2010), Diane Winter (2011), Alonzo Watkins (2012), Marta Santos (2013), Anna Torres (2014), Rick Knack (2015), Shannon Galindo (2016), James Kocinski (2017), Steve Slaughter (2018), Datherine Young-Garrett (2019), Maria Montoya (2020), Priscilla Struck (2021), Sharon Scull (2022), and Todd Jackson (2024).
“It was overwhelming,” Allen said. “I did not expect to [receive the award]. I am very honored, and I appreciate the recognition.”
Allen was born in Georgia, but moved to Milwaukee when she was two years old. She has been embedded in the DNA of Milwaukee Public Schools and Milwaukee Recreation ever since.
She attended McKinley Elementary School, Wells St. Junior High School, and West Division High School (now Milwaukee High School of the Arts). At 15 years old, while Allen was still in school, she unknowingly launched into a lengthy child care career with Milwaukee Recreation. One of Allen’s gym teachers at the time worked with Milwaukee Recreation. This opened the door for her to apply for a youth playground assistant position at Norris Playground, where she worked for several summers.
In the early 1980s, Allen returned to the playgrounds, this time as a playground leader. Allen then shifted into a variety of recreation roles, including youth arts & crafts instructor, youth cooking instructor, child care camps staff member, and Rec ‘N’ Roll Mobile Units operator.
As part of her duties with the Rec ‘N’ Roll Mobile Units—a traveling van that visits community events, schools, playgrounds, shelters, and other locations to provide games and activities for youth—Allen continues to preserve the history of the program while still embracing new developments and trends. In 2024, she created arts and crafts programming for over 1,200 young people at 16 playgrounds, three shelters, and one group home. She also participated in 20 tabling events throughout the community, spreading Milwaukee Recreation’s message to different neighborhoods in the city and actively increasing rentals and engagement.
Each year, Allen also plays a key role on the Daddy/Daughter Dance committee, an event that will hit its 20th year in 2025. Her attention to detail, commitment to Milwaukee’s youth, and passion for recreation have helped elevate the Daddy/Daughter Dance to new heights and create lasting memories for multiple generations of community members.
Throughout the years, Allen has proven herself as one of the most reliable and adaptable staff members in Milwaukee Recreation. “Clem is invaluable to our department,” recreation manager Lauren Lopez said. “She is a true example of exceptional customer service.”
Congratulations, Clem!