The days of Scott Walker in Wisconsin have finally come to an end. The Governor of Wisconsin is now Tony Evers. The former Superintendent of Public Instruction defeated the two-term incumbent by a narrow margin. Today we got a look at who the Governor-elect could put in his cabinet. In recent years we have had people who are not even remotely qualified to be in the position they are in. Kathy Stepp elevating herself up into the Trump administration for starters. Evers is shaping up to be a powerhouse administration. P.S. This is just the transition team.
Evers chief of staff is Wausau native Maggie Gau. Gau quickly made a name for herself in 2012 working on President Obama’s re-election team before working for various members of the legislature. In 2018 she became Evers’s campaign manager for his race for Governor.I expect Gau’s name to pop up in the future now that her record shows that she can unseat Walker and help carry the State for Presidential Candidate.
Evers was also quick to name JoAnne Anton his Transition Team Director. Anton was Director of Charitable Giving for Herb Kohl Philanthropies. Anton served as Kohl’s State Director and was also responsible for Herb Kohl’s re-election campaigns. (1). I once said that Herb Kohl was one of the most transformational figures in Wisconsin politics and I still stand by that. When Herb Kohl was one of the first ones to endorse Evers I knew we had something special. The hiring of Anton is huge for Evers since Kohl won the state by really big margins.
Evers has hired a handful of Co-Chairs. The first Transition Team Co-Chair is Chuck Pruitt. The Co-Manager of the fundraising organization ABD Direct. Pruitt considers his work in the 2008 and 2012 Obama for America campaigns to be the highlight of his professional career—fulfilling a dream to help elect and re-elect the most transformative political figure to emerge in his lifetime and helping to raise more money through direct mail than any campaign in American political history. (1)
His second Transition Team Co-Chair is Amy Traynor. Traynor is an Instructional Coach for the Eau Claire District and a WEAC member. Before that, she was a mathematics teacher at DeLong Middle School. She received awards from both the Department of Public Instruction and the Herb Kohl foundation. (1) This is the second time Herb Kohl’s name has been mentioned.
The third Co-Chair is Jan Allman. Allman is the CEO and General Manager of Marinette Marine. Before that, she was a Plant Manager for Ford Motor Company and Vice President of Manufacturing for Navistar Inc. She is also a board member for the Marinette Area Chamber of Commerce. (1) I am pretty sure I know what department shes going to run.
The fourth Co-Chair for the Governor-elect is Dr. Veronica Gunn. Gunn is a pediatrician from the Milwaukee area. She went to the Vanderbilt University of Medicine and did her residency at John Hopkins University. Gunn has received multiple awards for her work in pediatrics. In May of 2018, she became the CEO of Genesis Health Consulting. (1)
His fifth Co-Chair is someone who has been rumored to make a statewide bid himself. Kevin Conroy, The Chairman of CEO of Exact Sciences. Bringing Conroy on the team is huge for Evers. Not only will Conroy bring science back to Wisconsin. He will bring innovative science to Wisconsin. To quote Conroy himself “ Imagine a day where you can detect 15 different cancers from one blood draw”. This is the type of innovation not only Wisconsin needs but America as well.
The Governor-elect is just getting started. More team members will be named in the coming days. If this is a preview. I want to see what the actual movie looks like. Evers consulted a broad range of experience to help him shape his administration. To be continued…….……..…..
(1).
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