Deputy Secretary Pertl appointed to succeed Amundson as DCF secretary

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers on Aug 27th, announced that Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Emilie Amundson will be leaving the Evers Administration, effective Sept. 11, 2024. Before being appointed DCF secretary, Secretary Amundson previously served as chief of staff to Gov. Evers as then-state superintendent of Public Instruction.

“Emilie truly embodies our motto of ‘doing what’s best for kids is what’s best for our state,’ and she has lived those values every day during her time at the Department of Children and Families and at the Department of Public Instruction,” said Gov. Evers. “Having worked alongside Emilie for years now, it has been a privilege to watch her serve and support kids, families, and communities all across our state, and I know her work has directly and positively impacted the lives of so many in Wisconsin. I could not be more grateful to Emilie for her years of tremendous service, leadership, and friendship, and Kathy and I wish her and her family the very best.”

“I have been fortunate to have worked with Gov. Evers for nearly 15 years, so I already knew that we shared the same core value that what is best for our kids is what is best for our state. In service to that vision, I’ve worked to make Wisconsin better for kids and their families; from early childhood programming to prevention services and job programs for working families, this administration advanced policy that has made a real difference for families like mine,” said DCF Secretary Amundson. “I am grateful to countless partners across the state who work in child care, Tribal and local government, and human and community services who inspired me to think big. I am also thankful to have had the privilege of leading an agency of the smartest, kindest, and most compassionate civil servants who helped me translate those community conversations into meaningful change. Despite my best efforts, I know our work around child care access and affordability is not done, and I know Gov. Evers will continue to be a great champion of this work. He is and will always be my friend and trusted mentor, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve my state. I have worked side by side with Jeff Pertl, and I know he will not miss a beat in advancing vital priorities for families. I will be cheering for Jeff and the Evers Administration as a fellow Wisconsinite.”  

For more than five years, Secretary Amundson has successfully led DCF in transforming the state’s child welfare system, stabilizing and growing the early care and education field, and building stronger, innovative partnerships at the local, state, and federal levels. Accomplishments from her time as secretary include:  

• Child Care Counts: Launched the successful, well-established Child Care Counts payment program, which has delivered over $750 million in upstream support to child care providers to increase wages, provide benefits, expand access, and more. Since its inception in 2020, it has helped more than 5,314 child care providers keep their doors open, ensuring the employment of 64,533 child care professionals and allowing providers to continue care for more than 364,280 kids. 
• Family First: Drove efforts to transform the state’s child welfare system, resulting in screened-in referrals decreasing 21 percent from 2018 to 2022 and removals dropping below 4,000 for the first time in a decade.  
• Operation Allies Welcome: Served as a critical partner to federal, state, and local agencies to welcome nearly 850 Afghan individuals and families to communities across Wisconsin and temporarily house over 12,000 Afghans at Fort McCoy as part of Operation Allies Welcome.  
• Jeanine B. Settlement Agreement: Exited a 30-year court-ordered settlement agreement in Milwaukee County by improving practice and outcomes, resulting in far fewer removals, safer and more consistent out-of-home care placements, and greater timeliness in reaching permanency. 
• Reduced Agency Footprint: Right-sized physical office spaces, resulting in a 29 percent decrease in rent costs between state fiscal year 2019 and 2023, and ultimately reducing budget authority by $2 million starting in 2024.

On Aug 27th, the governor also announced Jeff Pertl will succeed Secretary Amundson as secretary of DCF.  

Pertl is currently deputy secretary at DCF and has served in the role since 2019. Prior to his current role, Pertl was the senior policy advisor for the Office of the State Superintendent at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction from 2009 to 2018, where he worked on issues around early childhood education, school finance, and closing the achievement gap. In this role, Pertl was the department’s liaison to DCF and worked collaboratively on early childhood and family policy issues. 

Pertl was a longtime Dane County Supervisor and possesses a wealth of experience in local government financial, personnel, and human services issues. Additionally, he served for several years on the Wisconsin Counties Association board of directors, working on statewide issues like youth justice reform, child welfare funding, and early childhood education access.

As a child of divorced parents, Pertl experienced firsthand the vital role child support has in creating a positive, stable family environment. As an adult, he and his wife have been licensed foster parents and their two boys were adopted at birth in Wisconsin. Both boys love participating in their neighborhood early care and education program.

Pertl received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.  

“Jeff has played a valuable role during my days as state superintendent and has done a similarly tremendous job as deputy secretary at the department these last five years,” said Gov. Evers. “Jeff not only has a deep commitment to serving Wisconsin’s kids and families, but an earnest appreciation for finding ways we can do more to improve the lives of people all across our state. I’m excited for him to take over this new role, and I look forward to our continued work together in the years ahead.”  

“I could not be more excited and honored to embrace the role of secretary and continue building on the progress we have made under Secretary Amundson’s steadfast leadership,” said Pertl. “I want to thank Gov. Evers for his belief and trust in me to lead the department at such a crucial juncture, especially as we have important conversations about the future of our child care workforce and its impact on opportunities for working families and communities across our state. It’s been an honor and a privilege to work at the department for the last five years, and I look forward to advancing our shared goals, including strengthening our state’s child care networks and further uplifting Wisconsin’s kids, families, and communities.”  

A photo of Pertl is available here.