Gov.-elect Tony Evers today announced Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, as his Revenue secretary and outgoing Sen. Caleb Frostman, D-Sturgeon Bay, to lead Workforce Development.
Evers also announced:
*Andrea Palm, who most recently served as senior counselor to the Health and Human Services secretary under President Obama, to lead the Department of Health Services. She is Evers’ first cabinet pick who hails from outside Wisconsin.
*Emilie Amundson, who has been working as Evers’ chief of staff at the Department of Public Instruction, to be secretary at the Department of Children and Families.
*Dawn Crim, the assistant state superintendent for the Division of Student and School Success at DPI, to lead the Department of Safety and Professional Services.
If confirmed by the Senate, the pick of Barca would require a special election to fill his Kenosha Assembly seat. Barca, a former Midwest regional administrator of the Small Business Administration during the Clinton administration, was the Assembly minority leader last session until Dems replaced him with Rep. Gordon Hintz, D-Oshkosh.
Frostman was the Door County Economic Development Corp. executive director before running in a June special election for northwestern Wisconsin’s 1st SD. He won that race, but lost the rematch with GOP Rep. Andre Jacque, of De Pere, in November.
Thursday’s announcements leave just the WHEDA leader for Evers to announce for his first cabinet.
Evers told WisPolitics.com Wednesday he won’t name a leader for WEDC in this round of announcements after GOP lawmakers took that power away until Sept. 1.
