Linda Carr Carlson – Office Administrator
Linda J. (Miles) Carr-Carlson was born in Chicago, IL and raised in Milwaukee. During her formative years, she attended Milwaukee Public Schools and still considers herself a North Division Blue Devil. She grew up to ultimately become a Summa Cum Laude graduate of InterAmerican University, San Juan, Puerto Rico, with bachelor degrees in Business Management and Human Resource Management. She earned her Master’s degree in Management Science from Cardinal Stritch School of Business in Milwaukee.
Linda’s initial trailblazing tendencies led her to become the first Black woman to cross the thresholds of Milwaukee’s Allen-Bradley Corporation and Manpower Teaching Services, Manpower Corporate Headquarters, as a full time employee. During her more than two decades of government service, she holds the distinction of being the first Black woman to serve as a U.S. Selective Service Board Secretary in Wisconsin and as a Federal Loan Guaranty Realty Specialist and Staff Real Estate Appraiser in the States of Wisconsin, California, and Florida where she has worked. She retired as the first Black woman to serve as Chief of the U.S. VA Loan Guaranty Construction, Valuation, and Property Management Sections serving the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. More recently, she provided assistance to the Milwaukee Branch NAACP and wore several hats before leaving the branch office.
Linda’s entrepreneurial pursuits include creator of Authentic Alleluia Clothing Line, Lingerie by Joy, and Jewelry by Joy. Upon retirement from VA, Linda joined forces with her husband, Edward, to form LEA Services Corporation of Puerto Rico, the first private fingerprint service for immigration purposes located on the Island. They eventually expanded their services to include document translating, immigration consulting, document preparation, naturalization classes, and coaching aspiring U.S. citizens who were preparing to take the naturalization test. For nearly a decade they assisted hundreds of immigrants and their families from more than 80 countries realize their dreams of successfully navigating the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization process.
Linda has come full circle and lives in Milwaukee again. She and Edward share a blended family of one daughter and two sons. They enjoy nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
Email: lindacc@crosslutheranmke.org