Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce: Members
Task force members
Appointees to the Governor’s Task Force on Healthcare Workforce are:
Chair
Lieutenant Governor Sara Rodriguez
State of Wisconsin
Lt. Gov. Rodriguez is an experienced health care executive who has worked in various leadership roles for over 20 years, including founding her own small business.
Prior to serving in the Wisconsin State Assembly, Lt. Gov. Rodriguez was the vice president of Population Health and Integrated Care Management at one of the largest health care systems in the Midwest.
Co-Vice Chair
Secretary Amy Pechacek
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development
Secretary Pechacek's early efforts at the Department of Workforce Development turned the tide on a backlog of unemployment insurance benefit claims that arose during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, through her leadership, the department is continuing its comprehensive modernization efforts – improving customer service with tools ranging from machine learning and multi-language translation to an ongoing overhaul of a decades-old mainframe system.
Co-Vice Chair
Secretary Kirsten Johnson
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Secretary Johnson has over 20 years of experience as a public health leader in complex local, state, national, and international organizations. Prior to serving the city of Milwaukee, Secretary Johnson led the Washington Ozaukee Public Health Department for more than a decade as the director and health officer, overseeing the merger of the two counties’ health departments.
- Rick Abrams, Chief Executive Officer, Wisconsin Health Care Association/Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living
- Tom Boelter, Administrator of Health and Wellness, Forest County Potawatomi Tribe of Wisconsin
- Kelly Buchholtz, M.S.N., M.B.A./H.C.M., R.N., Chief Nursing Officer, Mayo Clinic Health System - Northwest Wisconsin
- Danielle Cook, Education Director for Health Sciences, Wisconsin Technical College System
- Sharon Cox, Vice President/Chief Nursing Officer, Beloit Health System
- Gina Dennik-Champion, Executive Director, Wisconsin Nurses Association
- Dr. Amy Domeyer-Klenske, Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Dylan Gould, SEIU Wisconsin
- Eric Humphrey, Board Chair, Center for Healthcare Careers of Southeast Wisconsin, Chief Human Resources Officer, Froedtert ThedaCare Health
- Dr. Dakota Kaiser, Ph.D., Psychologist, Director of Integrated Services, Bridge Community Health Clinic
- Dr. Elsbeth Kalenderian, D.D.S., M.P.H., Ph.D., Dean and Professor, Marquette University School of Dentistry
- Dr. Thomas Kernozek, Chair, Department of Health Professions in the College of Science and Health, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
- Shawn Lerch, Chief Executive Officer, Sauk Prairie Healthcare
- Joyce Mallory, Community Engagement Manager, Heroes for Healthcare
- Dr. Wendy Molaska, M.D., past President, Wisconsin Medical Society, owner of Dedicated Family Care, LLC
- Barbara Nichols, Executive Director, Wisconsin Center for Nursing
- Sondra Norder, Executive Committee Member, LeadingAge Wisconsin, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Paul Elder Services Inc.
- John Raymond Sr., M.D., professor of Medicine, President and Chief Executive Officer, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Heather Schimmers, President, Gundersen Health System
- Robyn Woolever, Director of Integrated Care Services, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
- Janet Zander, Advocacy and Public Policy Coordinator, Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources Inc.
- Stacey Zellmer, Emergency Medical Technician Advanced, Vice President, Wisconsin Emergency Medical Services Association, Board of Directors
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This content reflects the views and opinions of the advisory council. It may not reflect the official policy or position of DHS.