Gov.-elect Tony Evers filled out most of his cabinet Thursday by picking a former Obama administration official, two Democratic state lawmakers and two aides who serve him as the state schools superintendent.
Evers, a Democrat who will be sworn in as governor Monday, announced at his transition office that Andrea Palm would serve as his health secretary. Palm was a senior counselor to the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Barack Obama from 2014 to 2017. Before that, she worked five years as a health policy adviser to then-U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Also Thursday, Evers selected state Rep. Peter Barca of Kenosha as revenue secretary and state Sen. Caleb Frostman of Sturgeon Bay as workforce development secretary.
He named Emilie Amundson as secretary of the Department of Children and Families. Amundson is now chief of staff at the Department of Public Instruction, which is headed by Evers as the state schools superintendent. Evers is turning the job of schools superintendent over to longtime Madison educator Carolyn Stanford Taylor once he becomes governor.
For his secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services, Evers chose Dawn Crim. She now assists Evers as assistant state superintendent for student and school success. Previously, Crim worked for two decades at the University of Wisconsin System in various rules, including assistant coach for women’s basketball and director of community relations for UW-Madison.
Evers is expected to name a director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority soon.