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2025 WCHSA Spring Conference | Meet the Speakers
SPEAKERS:
UWGB BSW Students
The group consists of the following students: Thalia Carreno, Daniel Kozak, Abby Lamere, Jose Plascencia-Arciniega, Kate Thompson, and Dezi Sobiesczyk. Jen Schanen-Materi, MSW, APSW, UWGB Field Coordinator, Associate Teaching Professor.
Gynger Steele
Gynger Steele is the administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services Division of Care and Treatment Services. The division’s four offices, two bureaus, and seven facilities exist to provide Wisconsinites with a lifelong continuum of behavioral health care. Steele is dedicated to building relationships and having authentic conversations with all collaborators in the work of the division to ensure the needs of all the division’s customers are met. She was appointed to her current role in 2023, after serving as an assistant administrator for division for more than three years. Prior to moving to Wisconsin in 2019, Steele spent more than 20 years working for state agencies in Minnesota and Washington focused on social and health services, corrections, public safety, policy and rules, regulations, and investigations.
Jennifer Mueller
Jennifer Mueller has been with DHS since 2009, currently serving as DHS's CISO. She values promoting security through collaboration. Prior to joining the security team, her worked focused on the development and maintenance of the state's eligibility systems, contract management, and providing technical support to Income Maintenance agencies across Wisconsin.
Renee Sutkay
Renee Sutkay is a Program Manager at the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality. Throughout her career, Renee has been an advocate for increasing access to whole person healthcare for underserved populations. She works directly with health systems across the state to impact and improve health disparities, behavioral health care and access, and health outcomes. Renee obtained her bachelor’s degree in social work from Edgewood College in Madison and master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from UW-Madison. Previously, Renee spent 16 years working in community mental health.
Michelle Wingate
Michelle Wingate is a passionate Learning Ambassador dedicated to creating impactful learning experiences. She holds a B.A. in Human Development from Azusa Pacific University and an M.S. in Family Studies from Texas Woman's University. As a curriculum developer and dynamic trainer, she blends creativity and practicality to design engaging programs that drive growth. A mother of six through biology and foster care adoption, Michelle and her husband have fostered over 20 children, embracing parenthood with compassion and resilience. Her firsthand experiences shape her empathetic, solutions-focused approach. A forward-thinker and lifelong learner, Michelle is committed to innovation, professional development, and advocating for children and families with a trauma-responsive mindset.
Kelly Bell
Michelle received her undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science and Psychology through Minnesota State University, Mankato Minnesota and obtained her Master of Social Work through UW-Milwaukee. She has worked with Washington County since 2016, starting as a CCS Service Facilitator, transitioning, to outpatient therapist, then then to her current position as the Youth Treatment Team Assistant Supervisor. She is certified in FCT, PCIT, Situational Leadership and have training in TF-CBT, DBT and Reflective Supervision.
Hilary Shager
Hilary Shager is the Associate Director at the University of Wisconsin (UW) Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP), the nation’s sole federally funded poverty and economic mobility research center. At IRP, she oversees day-to-day operations of the Institute, conducts social policy research, and manages research and data sharing contracts with Wisconsin state agencies and in service of IRP’s Wisconsin Administrative Data Core.
Gaelin Elmore
Gaelin Elmore is a dynamic and nationally sought after keynote speaker, trainer, and thought leader. He works with organizations and people to become belonging-informed in order to help children overcome trauma and unleash their potential. Gaelin's passion and energy for his work stems from his heart for justice and his own lived experience. His own belonging journey has led Gaelin to the National Football League, and now stages, boardrooms, and organizations, all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others to think differently about their work and its long term impact on others. Gaelin now lives in Burnsville, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and dad to their three children, Laniah, Tatum, and Gideon!
Annie Meehan
Annie Meehan is committed to transforming achievement from good to great by teaching people to rewrite their excuses into successful accomplishments. Speaking internationally as an expert on living an Exceptional life, she will motivate, inspire, and teach your audience to remove the road blocks that stand in the way. Her audiences walk out with a “WOW” factor that includes practical tools to immediately impact their lives both professionally and personally. Having corporate, associations, and non-profits as clients, Annie provides actionable strategies to manage change, recognize the power of words in customer/employee experience, and eliminate excuses that keep people from attaining their goals. Her passion and engaging presence inspire people to take action.
Emily Klingenberg
Emily is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of WI. Her background includes direct client work with youth in residential, day treatment settings, and in-home family therapy. Emily has been involved with LSS’s in-home evidence-based family services since her start in 2015. She currently supervises the Family Centered Treatment teams at LSS and is working to bring more awareness of our new service FCT-Recovery.
Rachel Mackey
Rachel Mackey is a Senior Associate with Paragon Government Relations working to advance the interests of clients’ federal policy interests in the health & human services, housing and veterans spaces. She is a seasoned government affairs professional with experience advocating for county government priorities in the areas of human services, education, and veterans and military services. Prior to joining Paragon, she spent five years as the Legislative Director for Human Services and Education/Veterans and Military Services at the National Association of Counties (NACo), where she built strong relationships with key lawmakers, agencies, and the administration to influence pressing legislative and regulatory matters impacting county governments and worked directly with county leaders to develop and promote best practices for implementing federal policies at the local level. Rachel also led NACo’s work with the Local Government Legal Center to help shape the outcome of significant Supreme Court cases for county governments through persuasive and effective legal advocacy. Rachel also has two years of experience as the Director of Policy and Research at First Focus, a bipartisan child advocacy organization, where she specialized in policy analysis and government relations related to federal budget and appropriations policy, child hunger and nutrition, and family tax policy. Rachel earned her Master’s in Public Policy from Georgetown University and her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy from Duke University.
Jason Witt
Jason Witt is Director of La Crosse County Human Services. He has over 25 years of Human Services experience with Wisconsin state and local government. This has included roles with the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services and the Rock County Human Services Department. Recently, Jason was tapped to represent La Crosse County in creating a homelessness response plan in partnership with the City of La Crosse. Jason holds a master’s degree in public Affairs and a law degree, both from the University of Wisconsin. He lives in Onalaska, Wisconsin, with his wife Tricia, son Chasen (15) and daughter Gracie (12).
Abby Tschech
Abby began working as an ADRC Specialist in Winnebago County in 2024. Prior to her time with Winnebago County, Abby worked as a Service Coordinator with Outagamie County Children's Long-Term Support. Abby also has experience working in early childhood education and with school- aged youth. Abby is passionate about streamlining the Youth Transition process through open communication and collaboration with families and other professionals. Outside of work, she enjoys baking, hiking, and spending time with her husband and cat.
Hannah Ulwelling
Hannah is a program supervisor for the Children's Long-Term Support (CLTS) program in Winnebago County. She has worked in various counties in the CLTS Program as well as the ADRC before most recently beginning this leadership role. She has a special interest in youth transitions and improving the experience of youth and families who move from children's services to adult long-term care. Hannah received her bachelor's degree in Human Services Leadership from University of Wisconsin- Oshkosh.
John Elliott
John Elliott is the Administrator for the Division of Safety and Permanence in the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. The Division of Safety and Permanence is responsible for oversight of child welfare and youth justice services delivered through Wisconsin counties and Tribes. John is an experienced leader in strategy development and execution, policy development and implementation, research and leading projects in public and private organizations.
Stacey Otto
Stacey Otto, LCSW, has been working or volunteering with abused children and their families for over 25 years. Previously she was employed at Winnebago County Department of Human Services as a clinical social worker providing individual and family counseling to children and families who have experienced trauma. In January 2015 Stacey created Nurturing Connections, a trauma-informed service program that provides consulting, educational workshops and intervention services to children, families and professionals. Since November 2015 she has worked as a Reflective Consultant with the Home Visiting Reflective Practice Project providing consultation services to the Healthy Families program through Family Services of Northeast WI in Brown County. For the past 18 months Stacey has been participating in the Trauma Informed Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) learning collaborative and plans to be a CPP therapist for Winnebago County by the summer of 2016. Stacey enjoys giving presentations and has provided a variety of workshops on trauma and attachment. Recently Stacey received the Good Heart award in April 2016 during the annual Blue Ribbon event sponsored by Parent Connection, a local social service agency. The Good Heart award recognizes the efforts of individuals who continually make a difference in the lives of children and families in the community.
Dr. Angela Pittman-Vanderweide
Chuck Price, MS
Chuck Price, founder of Blue Collar Consulting, brings over 27 years of leadership experience in child welfare and human services, successfully guiding organizations through trauma-informed cultural transformations. As a former DHHS Director, he led his department from compliance-based practices to a nationally recognized trauma-informed agency, improving recruitment, retention, and case outcomes. His leadership earned his team a spot in a national Innovation Cohort, driving significant reductions in out-of-home care. A former President of Wisconsin County's Human Services Association, Chuck championed organizational effectiveness and leadership development statewide. Passionate about helping leaders navigate change, he leverages real-world experience to support organizations in building thriving, trauma-informed cultures. Chuck lives in central Wisconsin with his wife, Laurie, and enjoys baseball and his two dogs, Small and Benny.
Diane Cable
Diane is a visionary leader with over 30 years of experience in human services, dedicated to improving individual and community well-being. With a master’s in Social Work, she has served as a social worker, manager, and Director in counties of all sizes, leading transformational change and enhancing organizational outcomes. As Director in Eau Claire County, she spearheaded system-wide improvements as part of a national child welfare cohort, significantly improving staff retention and service delivery. A longtime leader in the Wisconsin County Human Services Association, she served as Vice President and President, guiding counties through the challenges of the pandemic. Now semi-retired, Diane consults with leaders and systems while enjoying life on the outskirts of Eau Claire with her husband, spending time outdoors and with family.
Dennis P. Morrison, PhD
Dr. Dennis Morrison is the owner of Morrison Consulting, which has provided consulting services to the behavioral health IT field since 2017, and he currently serves as Chief Clinical Officer for Eleos Health and Clinical Advisor for ContinuumCloud. Previously, he was Chief Clinical Officer at Netsmart Technologies (2012–2017) and CEO of the Centerstone Research Institute (2008–2012), earning recognition in IBM’s Smarter Planet Series and the TDWI Best Practices Award, as well as serving as CEO of a merger partner that formed the award-winning Center for Behavioral Health. Dr. Morrison holds master’s degrees in Psychology and Exercise Physiology and a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Ball State University, which honored him with its Distinguished Alumni Award in 2022. A prolific author, TEDx presenter, podcast host, and co-inventor on a behavioral healthcare outcomes software patent, he has served on numerous academic and nonprofit boards. Additionally, a former Navy officer with TOPGUN training, he is a licensed, instrument-rated pilot and an accomplished triathlete who has completed 19 triathlons since turning 70.
Christa Jensen
Christa Jensen is the Director of Marathon County Social Services and has dedicated 17 years to the field of child welfare. Her experience spans direct practice in CPS Access, Initial Assessment, and Ongoing services, as well as serving as the Child Welfare Manager before stepping into her current leadership role, now in its third year. Christa has been actively involved in the Family Keys pilot since its inception and development, championing its success in demonstrating that when families receive financial and resource-based support, outcomes improve for both youth and families—ultimately benefiting the community and taxpayers alike.
Molly Betts
Molly Betts is a Grant Specialist with the WI Balance of State Continuum of Care. Before joining the BoS team, Molly was a Member Advocate at a WI Medicaid Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) where she specialized in behavioral health and assisting people with disabilities access necessary healthcare services and resources. She also has previous experience as SOAR (Social Security Outreach, Access, and Recovery) case manager and TBRA (Tenant Based Rental Assistance) case manager at Couleecap in La Crosse, WI. With a bachelor's degree in Spanish with a business emphasis, Molly brings a unique, multifaceted perspective to her work.
Adam Hurst
Adam Hurst is a Homeless Systems Specialist with the Wisconsin Balance of State CoC. Adam supports and works with many different aspects of homeless systems within the Wisconsin Balance of State including HOME-ARP, State EHH grants, and the 1915i benefit. Adam works to improve homeless systems within the CoC to maximize effectiveness of homeless programming and provide support to homeless agencies. Prior to working with the CoC, Adam worked with homeless shelters managing homeless programming with a focus on youth and the chronically homeless.
Ryan Bamberg
15 years of experience working in different entities related to target groups like transitioning youth, individuals with disabilities, aging population, and more. Experienced working in vast environment settings including big Cities like Milwaukee and Waukesha County and currently now in rural area Green Lake County. My career started on the front lines providing direct care to individuals with disabilities with their daily living tasks. Those experiences led me to develop a grass root program that provided job experiences and skills to individuals age 18 to 45. Eventually, I found myself connected to ADRCs which I have been a supervisor, coordinator, manager in vast focus areas. The areas I have specialized in are: Benefit Specialist, Transitioning Youth, Long Term Care Services, Mental Health, and Nursing Homes.
Jill Vogel
Jill Vogel is a Senior Business Development Executive at Netsmart, specializing in our Augmented Intelligence solutions. With ten years of experience in Behavioral Health technology, Jill has worked closely with county and HHS clients to improve efficiency and outcomes. She is passionate about helping providers streamline documentation, making it easier, faster, and more accurate, so they can focus more on serving individuals and less on administrative tasks.
Terri Gowey
Terri Gowey began working at Chileda in October 2000 as a Direct Support Professional. Over the years she has worked as a Lead Direct Support Professional, House Manager, Case Manager, Job Coach, Behavior Specialist, and Director of Behavior Services. In 2013 Terri earned her Master’s Degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) an Licensed Behavior Analyst in 2014. Terri is currently the Chief Operating Officer.
Kate Lopas
Kate Lopas began working at Chileda in 2012 as a Direct Support Professional. Over the years she has worked as a Lead Direct Support Professional, a Behavior Specialist, and then the director of behavior services while she obtained her first master’s degree in forensic psychology. After working in the Behavior department for several years, she then went on to get her second master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2021. She then became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in 2022 where she continues to serve as the Director of Behavior Services and BCBA/LBA for Chileda.
Tabitha Farr
Tabitha Farr is the Director of Clinical Services for Chileda in La Crosse, Wisconsin. A licensed social worker with a strong background in mental health services and case management, she holds an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Winona State University and a graduate degree in Clinical Social Work from The University of St. Thomas. Passionate about advocacy, mental health services, and policy reform, Tabitha is dedicated to ensuring that systems better meet the needs of all individuals. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and exploring new experiences.
Katie Davis
Katie Davis is the Child Welfare Licensing Manager at the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Her roots are in congregate care, having started her career as a direct support worker and assistant manager at a community-based residential facility for adults. Katie has worked in multiple roles in state service, including Program Evaluator at the Legislative Audit Bureau and Director of Budget and Programs with the Division of Juvenile Corrections. Katie has also supported county human services agencies across Wisconsin as Executive Director of WCHSA. She is passionate about providing kids and families with the support they need to be successful in creating and maintaining safe, stable, and loving homes.
Mary Morse
Mary Morse graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a major in Guidance and Counseling with a community emphasis in 1993. Mary has held a variety of jobs which include Lincoln Hills School, Genesee Lake School, Wisconsin Special Needs Adoption, and Mendota Mental Health Institute. Mary worked for the Department of Children and Families as a licensing specialist for over 8 years for DMCPS as a Program Evaluation Manager for 3 years. Mary has been in her current position as a Child Welfare Program Specialist since 2005. Her duties include a variety of tasks such a policies and procedures, rate regulation and general technical assistance to the public as well as state staff on child welfare licensing.
Nicolette Swokowski
Nicolette is a recovery coach and Peer support specialist serving Winnebago County. As part of the Clinical diversion team, Nicolette works with the SUD counselors, Case managers, Jail staff, and the drug court coordinator to facilitate peers getting introduced to and given the option of working with peer support. Nicolette is a person in long term recovery, in the summer she can be spotted at the farmers market, or on a hiking trail and in the winter at a coffee shop hosting a book club!
Amy Geffers
With 20 years of experience, Amy Geffers is a supervisor with experience in treatment courts and peer support. She collaborates with peer support specialists and recovery coaches to integrate lived experience into county systems and treatment courts, driving better recovery outcomes through compassion, collaboration, and innovative strategies.
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