April 30, 2020 

Milwaukee County Executive-Elect David Crowley Selects DHHS Director Mary Jo Meyers as Chief of Staff

MILWAUKEE — County Executive-elect David Crowley is announcing Mary Jo Meyers, current Director of Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), will serve as his Chief of Staff. Meyers is a nationally recognized expert in the field of community-based mental health care, with a longstanding commitment to public service, and strong partnerships with stakeholders throughout the community.

“Meyers has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to provide the highest level of service to the residents of Milwaukee county. Her vision and leadership on juvenile justice reform, transforming the behavioral healthcare system, and implementation of a nationally recognized model of a values-driven, trauma-informed system of care for children and families, are testament to her impact on Milwaukee County,” said Executive-elect Crowley. “Her depth of knowledge and experience will be great assets to my administration, especially in this time of crisis.”

Named DHHS Director in 2018, Meyers has over 36 years of experience working in the field of Health and Human Services. The Milwaukee County DHHS is the largest county agency, employing over 800 public servants and is responsible for providing support and services in the areas of behavioral health, housing, energy assistance, disabilities services and youth justice. In addition to running DHHS, Meyers became the Interim Director for the Department on Aging in late 2019 and has focused on creating a seamless coordinated system of care throughout the lifespan for the citizens of Milwaukee County. 

“I am and will remain deeply committed to improving the lives of the people of Milwaukee County,” said Meyers. “By supporting County Executive-elect Crowley’s vision for the future, I am confident we will continue to advance critical issues facing Milwaukee County. I look forward to serving in the new administration.

Prior to her time at DHHS, Meyers was the Director of Children’s Mental Health Services and Wraparound Milwaukee for the Behavioral Health Division of DHHS. Under her leadership, Wraparound Milwaukee has become a national model for designing systems of care for children and families, cited by the Surgeon General as a best practice model for youth involved in the juvenile justice system. In 2009, Harvard University recognized Wraparound Milwaukee by honoring the program as a winner of the Annie E. Casey Innovations Award in Children and Family System Reform.

She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Allied Health and holds a Masters of Science in Community Mental Health from Trinity College of Vermont.

Milwaukee County Executive-elect Crowley has requested that key county agency and executive staff leadership remain in place, to the extent possible, to provide the stability Milwaukee County needs in this time of crisis. The current Chief of Staff, Raisa Koltun, will remain in the office temporarily as Meyers transitions into the job and the role of DHHS Director is filled.