Overview
The Executive Management Team of the Secretary's Office is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the agency. They also work closely with the Governor's Office and state agency heads to ensure the overall mission and vision of state government is carried out.
The Communications Office is responsible for coordinating messaging for the agency including responding to media requests and internal communications for the department.
The Office of Business Development works with business owners, trade associations, affiliated organizations and Chambers of Commerce throughout Wisconsin to ensure business has a seat at the table, advocate for business interests within government and present rule change recommendations to appropriate agency or the Legislature.
The Strategic Management and Planning (SMP) program focuses on improving the operational excellence of DOA through continuous improvement, performance management, and strategic planning. By engaging employees and stakeholders, the SMP team works to uncover, understand, and implement solutions to improve the work lives of employees and delivery of services to our customers, internal and statewide.
Executive Management Team
Secretary-designee - Kathy Blumenfeld
Secretary-designee Blumenfeld was appointed by Governor Tony Evers to lead the Department of Administration in January 2022. As secretary, she is committed to developing caring and diverse teams that are passionate about their jobs, and delivering effective, secure, and innovative services for other Wisconsin state agencies and the public. In this role, Secretary Blumenfeld serves on the Boards of the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), The Wisconsin Center District and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC).
From 2019 to 2021, Secretary Blumenfeld led the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions, where her priorities included financial literacy and protecting consumers from financial fraud. In this role, Secretary Blumenfeld served on the board of the Wisconsin College Savings Program, the Governor's Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, and chaired Governor Evers' Task Force on Student Debt.
Prior to state service, Ms. Blumenfeld was the Executive Vice President of Special Operations at TASC – the Total Administrative Services Corporation, leading a federal contract modernizing the workplace charitable giving program for all federal employees and retirees.
She previously served as Vice President of Lending & Payment Security at CUNA Mutual Group, where she worked for 26 years, co-founded the Women's Leadership Network, and served on the Diversity and Inclusion Council. She also served 10 years on the board of Summit Credit Union, culminating in the role of board chair, and recently served on the Unity Point Meriter Board of Directors.
Secretary-designee Blumenfeld began her career as a Certified Public Accountant and holds a bachelor's degree in Accounting and Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of three books, and is passionate about community service, philanthropy, and tennis.
Deputy Secretary - Paul Hammer
Paul Hammer was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration by Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld in August 2023. Paul joined DOA following many years of service at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation where he also served as Deputy Secretary and functioned as the Chief Operating Officer.
Paul oversaw operations, policy development, and program implementation in an agency of over 3,200 employees and biennial budget exceeding $7 billion. Paul also helped to secure federal highway, transit, rail, and harbor funding for Wisconsin by serving on the national Transportation Policy Forum, which advises all 50 state transportation CEOs. Paul was WisDOT Budget and Policy Director from 2011 to 2015. He also served as WisDOT's Deputy Secretary in 2015 and 2016.
Paul served as the Deputy Administrator for the Division of External Services at the Department of Natural Resources in 2017 and 2018. Paul started state service in 1990 at the Legislative Audit Bureau. More recently, Paul supported the Administration's response to the Covid 19 pandemic in the areas of emergency procurement and community vaccination clinics.
A native of Duluth, Minnesota, Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Minnesota-Duluth and a Master of Arts degree in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota's Humphrey School. Paul and his wife have two adult children and live in Fitchburg.
Assistant Deputy Secretary - Danielle Williams
Danielle Williams was named Assistant Deputy Secretary in January 2023. Williams serves as chief of staff and policy advisor to the Secretary and manages external affairs for the department. In this role, she serves on the Wisconsin Housing & Economic Development Authority Board.
She previously served as Assistant Deputy Secretary of the Department of Workforce Development, where she directed the Offices of Legal Counsel, Communications, and Legislative Affairs and served as the Secretary's Chief of Staff. In that role, she also served as the department's representative on the Governor's Joint Enforcement Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Worker Misclassification, Governor's Early Childhood Advisory Council, State Tribal Relations Technical Advisory Committee, and Wisconsin Economic Development Association Board of Directors.
Prior to joining DWD, Williams directed government relations for Dane County, where she had previously served as a County Board Supervisor. She also worked in the State Legislature for over 12 years, during which time she served as Policy Director for the Senate Minority Leader and Clerk of the Senate Economic Development Committee. She also staffed several legislative committees and state councils, including the Joint Finance Committee and Senate Workforce Development Committee.
Williams earned her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School, her master's degree in public policy from New England College, and her bachelor's degree in political science from Edgewood College. Williams grew up in Rock County and currently resides in eastern Dane County.