Cosgrove to lead agency that helps the homeless

Mike Cosgrove will become the chief executive officer of Family Promise of Ozaukee County beginning Feb. 24.

Family Promise, which opened its Portlight Shelter at the corner of Sunset Road and Highway LL in Port Washington in 2023, has provided services to area people who are homeless or on the brink of homelessness since 2015.

“For years, I’ve had the privilege of working within this community, and I’ve seen firsthand the incredible resilience and kindness of our neighbors,” he said. “Now I am excited to bring my skills and expertise to help further Family Promise’s mission to prevent and end homelessness in Ozaukee County. Together we will continue to build on the strong foundation already in place.”

Cosgrove said he was moved to apply for the job because it is “a combination of all the different things I’ve done in my career.”

As CEO, Cosgrove will work with local businesses, churches, community leaders and volunteers to increase awareness of the agency’s services and help families regain stability and independence, agency officials said.

Cosgrove, who currently serves as the administrative and fiscal support division manager of the Ozaukee County Department of Human Services,  is uniquely positioned to help meet those needs and guide the organization into the future, organization officials said, citing his knowledge of budget management, event planning and fundraising.

“We are incredibly excited to have Mike at the helm,” Greg Bachrach, chairman of the Family Promise of Ozaukee County board of directors, said. “His dedication to this community, his leadership, continuous improvement and his proven track record make him the perfect fit to help us continue to make an impact. We look forward to his guidance as we step into our next phase of growth.”

Cosgrove said Tuesday he is “very excited” about his new position, adding that the job will make use of the skills he has honed through the years.

In his job with Ozaukee County, he has “played an instrumental role in overseeing HIPPA compliance, health database management and administrative support services,” according to a press release from Family Promise.

Cosgrove’s role as executive director of the Saukville Chamber of Commerce also gave him “invaluable experience in community engagement, business development and leadership,” the release said.

Cosgrove said he will continue his work with the Chamber as it works to develop a succession plan, noting he has been a part-time director since taking on the job in 2016.

“I’m not going to leave them in the lurch,” Cosgrove said, adding he expects the succession planning to take at least six months.

“A lot of what I do at the Chamber is behind the scenes work,” he said, adding that “as Saukville grows and we get more residents and more businesses” there will be a need to find a full-time director.