Whitburn Center

Adam is a 2015 graduate of the UW Oshkosh MPA Program. He currently serves as the Administrative Assistant to the Winnebago County Executive and Department of Administration. His last role was as a Transportation Planner at East Central WI Regional Planning Commission. Adam has lived in Oshkosh with his family since 2005. Adam is deeply involved in community building through Heroes of Oshkosh, Read Elementary PTO, Winnebago County Health Department ReThink Coalition, City of Oshkosh Bike & Pedestrian Advisory Board, Oshkosh Food Co-op Food Justice Team, Hope Fridge, and the Bent Woods Neighborhood Association. Adam also runs 14&3 A Leadership Development Nonprofit and can be seen as a speaker on the 2018 TedXOshkosh series.

Alex leads data analytics and CQI strategy as a manager for Hennepin County Health and Human Services. Previously, Alex served as Paramedic Captain for Quality and Education at North Memorial Health Ambulance, where he spearheaded initiatives to enhance patient care and provider training. He holds an MPA from UWO with an emphasis in Fire and Emergency Administration and Management (FEAM) and is currently pursuing a DPA at Valdosta State University. Beyond his professional pursuits, Alex is engaged in the community. He serves on the alumni board for the Whitburn Center and was recently elected to the ASPA national Council for district IV, representing Minnesota and Wisconsin. His dedication to public service extends to his family as well; his wife is a firefighter and works for a municipality. In his free time, Alex enjoys traveling and exploring the world of comic books, finding balance and inspiration in these pursuits.

Autumn started her career working on political campaigns, strategizing communications and field operations. She then transitioned to the nonprofit world for a few years, and now works in government. She has experience working at the city level as a City Planner, at the county level as a Public Health Strategist, and at the state level as a Budget Analyst and now as a Medicaid Policy Analyst. In her current role as a Medicaid Policy Analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, she gets to help shape policy for Medicaid members in Wisconsin. Autumn is a proud 2019 MPA graduate and currently resides on the east side of Madison with her husband, Harry, and their rescue dog, Willow. In her free time, Autumn enjoys reading, baking, and exploring local dog friendly parks. 

Ben is the Administrator for Bellevue, WI. He has been in the municipal field for 15 years with a focus on the Administrator role for the last six. His areas of expertise range from community development and infrastructure planning to financial management and capital budgeting. As a member of Wisconsin City-County Management Association Ben sits on various committees including Professional Development and Annual Conference Planning. Ben is also an Advisory Board Member of the UWO Whitburn Center. Through his work and education experiences, Ben has developed a leadership style where supporting staff is paramount. He believes creative problem solving and “out of the box” ideas should be reinforced and strives to create an environment where encouragement and support are pillars of the workplace. Ben and his wife Amber enjoy outdoor recreation and exploring the community with their three boys.

Chris was a Clerk/Treasurer for almost 17 years and an Administrator/Deputy Administrator for 10 years in Wisconsin; most recently for the Town of Oakland in Jefferson County. He served on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association for six years, was its 37th President, and proclaimed a Clerk-at-Heart at the 2021 Annual Conference. Currently he teaches Public Administration at Rochester University (MI), consults for Town Web Design and HeyGov, two world-wide companies specializing in digitizing municipal government and municipal websites, is a national speaker, and takes minutes on the side just for fun. 😉

Chris has his undergraduate degree in Political Science and Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. He, his wife Dr. Julie, and their dog Thumper moved to Las Vegas in September of 2021 to escape the frigid Wisconsin Winters. They both are proud Green Bay Packers Owners, Disney fans, and love to travel. Chris loves to bike, shoot photography, the New York Yankees, and the incredible food Las Vegas has to offer; especially In N Out Burger!

Crystal Soderman is a graduate of the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and is a PhD student with the University of Colorado Denver’s School of Public Affairs. Her research interests fall within the area of energy and climate policy, specifically aligning with the following broad themes: energy justice, the impact of societal/cultural values on energy and climate policy, and the policy process associated with adoption of energy and climate policy. Of particular interest to Crystal are the narratives that surround energy and climate policy and their impact on the policy process.

Diane spent 26 years in the public sector in Wisconsin counties (Marathon and Lincoln) and villages (Hortonville and Bellevue). She is a certified planner (AICP), credentialed manager (ICMA), and a 2019 alum of the UW-O MPA program.  Diane joined MSA Professional Services in 2021 as a Community Development Specialist where she works in interim and as-needed administration services, funding services, planning/zoning, and capital improvement planning for local government clients. Diane and her partner, Dean are empty-nesters living in the Appleton/Green Bay area and are excited to meet their first grandchild in February.

Jack completed a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in May 2022. Carrying the Wisconsin spirit with pride, Jack returned to his home state of Illinois to be closer to his family. Currently, he is navigating the challenges of a management analyst position at the Village of Northbrook Department of Public Works. In his role, Jack provides support to the Director of Public Works in areas such as financial planning and policy implementation, refining skills in budget development, contract management, and project leadership. He has successfully led impactful projects in water treatment, fire safety, and infrastructure maintenance. Jack is a part of the Illinois Association of Municipal Management Assistants (IAMMA) engagement committee. He is committed to embodying the values of servant leadership and seeks to navigate daily challenges with kindness.

Jason has served as the County Administrator in Menominee County, Michigan for the past 5 ½ years. As is the case in many smaller municipalities, the County Administrator takes on multiple titles. A few of Jason’s titles include, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Human resources Director, Parks Director, and Airport Director. His other experiences in the public sector include serving as a Financial Specialist in the Brown County Treasurer’s Office, an intern with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, and seasonal employment with the City of Green Bay and City of Marinette.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration, Political Science, and Democracy & Justice Studies from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay (2014) and his Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (2021). Jason is a devote outdoorsman and conservationist that enjoys the many outdoor recreational opportunities that Northeast Wisconsin has to offer.

Joe Stephenson, a University of Wisconsin Oshkosh alum, brings a rich academic background with a bachelor’s in urban planning and a master’s in public administration. He has over a decade of municipal experience working in various rolls throughout the Fox Cities. He currently serves as a Senior Planner at East Central Regional Plan Commission. Beyond his professional roles, Joe is actively engaged in community governance as an Oshkosh Common Council Member. Moreover, he plays a crucial role as the American Planning Association Representative for North East Wisconsin, further contributing to the development and advancement of planning practices in the region. Joe Stephenson’s extensive background and active involvement highlight his passion for fostering sustainable and well-planned communities.

Lynnsey is a Community Health Strategist at the Winnebago County Public Health Department where she focuses on housing policy and systems change to improve access and affordability. Lynnsey was elected to the Oshkosh Common Council in April 2020 and currently serves as Deputy Mayor and liaison to the city’s Transportation Committee. Previously she has served on the city’s Rental Housing Advisory Board, Transit Advisory Board, Plan Commission, and the Oshkosh Housing Authority Board. Lynnsey’s capstone project included creating a toolkit for equitable community engagement to be used by government staff and partners to embed equity into decision-making processes and engage community to understand particular issues. Lynnsey is passionate about bringing community voice into government processes and shifting power to people directly impacted by issues.

Mandy has spent most of her career working in the public sector–within the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College Systems. At Moraine Park Technical College in her current role, Potts serves on the President’s Team and leads lead all aspects of a marketing communications office, she oversees a team of marketing communications professionals who focus on branding, communications, recruitment and digital marketing, community engagement and outreach, and more. Potts serves as the institutional spokesperson/public information officer and has experience building and launching brands, growing, and leading teams, as well as in accreditation, civil rights compliance, governance, policy and procedure development, and crisis and emergency management.  Potts is a 2021 graduate of UW Oshkosh’s MPA program; she holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications from UW-Milwaukee.

Mark has been City Manager of Oshkosh, WI since 2008.  Over his 40 years in local government, Mark has served cities in Colorado, California, and Wisconsin, in areas as diverse as finance, economic development, public works, and organizational development. He is a Past President of the Wisconsin City-County Management Association (receiving their Meritorious Service Award in 2022), has served on several committees for the International City-County Management Association, and currently holds leadership positions with the League of Wisconsin Municipalities, the Wisconsin Urban Alliance, the Whitburn Center for Governance and Policy Research at UW Oshkosh, and LWM Mutual Insurance. He has also served as an adjunct faculty member for the UWO MPA program.

Monica is the director of Environmental Planning & Sustainability, Health & Safety and Custom Management & Leadership at UC Davis’ Division of Continuing and Professional Education. Her areas of expertise include: public policy administration, leadership, environmental management, geographic information systems, conflict resolution and environmental health and safety, EMT & Paramedic training and diversity, equity and inclusive programs for leaders in the public/private sector. A Wisconsin native, she received her BA from UW-Milwaukee and her MPA from UWO in 2022. Prior to joining UC Davis, she was an appointee in former California Governor Gray Davis’ Administration. She was also the VP of Education and Legislation for the California Association of Economic Development and spent 13-years working in the editorial departments of both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Sacramento Bee in Northern California.

Ron currently serves as Marquette County Administrator where he oversees all county government operations. This includes working with Department Heads and elected officials to ensure efficient, effective, and equitable delivery of goods and services, as well as managing the county budget and overseeing the fiscal health of the county’s general fund. His past public service experience includes serving as Director of both County Health and Social Service Departments and as County Health Officer. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).   

Yessra is a Refugee Programs Coordinator in the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families. Her role involves supporting refugee support agencies across the state, creating and managing the contracts they utilize, and collaborating with other state departments to support social programming. She manages and tracks the budget progression of refugee support agencies, as well as ensures the agencies are meeting federal guidelines. The education provided through the Masters of Public Administration (MPA) helps guide decisions and actions throughout the discussions regarding the structuring of contracts and guiding the resettlement of refugees. The recent focus has been supporting Afghan and Ukrainian refugees with housing, employment, mental health, and community integration.