Crowley announces chief of staff

Gov.-elect David Crowley announced members of his transition, including former Department of Children and Families Secretary Jeff Pertl, who will serve as his chief of staff. 

Crowley said in a statement that Pertl would bring an “incredible depth of experience, a strong understanding of state government and a deep commitment to serving Wisconsin families.” 

Pertl has served in multiple roles within the administration of outgoing Gov. Tony Evers. Pertl served as the DCF secretary from 2024 until he left in September. He left the agency to work on Crowley’s campaign for governor, according to WisPolitics. 

Prior to Pertl’s tenure as the head of DCF, he had worked as the agency’s deputy secretary since 2019. He also previously served as senior policy advisor for the state superintendent at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and as a Dane County supervisor. 

“Throughout his career, he has demonstrated the leadership, thoughtfulness, and collaborative approach needed to tackle our state’s biggest challenges and deliver results for the people of Wisconsin,” Crowley said. “I’m confident Jeff will be an invaluable partner as we build an administration focused on bringing people together, making life more affordable for working families, and moving Wisconsin forward.

Pertl lives in Madison with his wife. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his master’s degree in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley. 

In the week since Crowley won the election, he has said that he is focused on putting together his transition team, including bringing voices together from across the state — not just from Madison and Milwaukee. 

“I am committed to bringing people together from across the political spectrum and all across this state. We’re going to listen to every region … every community,” Crowley said last week. “We’re going to make decisions that are based on what’s best for everyone here in the state of Wisconsin, and we are going to measure our success on whether life gets better for all families in this great state.”

Crowley in his announcement tapped Thad Nation, the founder and senior partner of Nation Consulting, a public strategies firm, to serve as the director of Crowley’s transition committee. He also named twelve leaders from across Wisconsin to serve as co-chairs of his transition team. Some of those people include former Milwaukee Bucks executive Alex Lasry, Greater Milwaukee Foundation CEO Greg Wesley, UW-Stevens Point faculty member Marcus Lewis, co-founder and CEO of The Hmong Institute Peng Her and Kathleen Rulka, a retired marriage and family therapist.

Crowley announced on Tuesday that he is taking applications for jobs within his administration.