Whitburn Center

Aaron D. Tomlinson is a proud graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) program and serves as the Business Development Administrator for the National Criminal Justice Training Center (NCJTC) of Fox Valley Technical College. In this role, he leads marketing efforts, drives new business development, and oversees various aspects of public administration.

Aaron brings over 30 years of experience in public service, having served in roles such as police officer, police administrator, criminal justice instructor, and dean of public safety prior to his current position with NCJTC. Today, he develops and delivers impactful criminal justice programs to audiences across the United States daily.

A devoted husband of more than 20 years and a proud father of two sons, Aaron is deeply committed to both his family and his work in advancing the field of criminal justice.

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.

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!

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.

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 is the Economic Development Program Manager at the East Central Wisconsin Regional Plan Commission, where he applies his Master of Public Administration degree to manage impactful projects in economic development, city planning and sustainability. As an Oshkosh City Council member, an American Planning Association district representative, and a board member of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), Joe is committed to fostering community growth through strategic planning, housing initiatives, and revitalization efforts. With a focus on collaboration and innovative solutions, he works to strengthen communities and improve the quality of life across Wisconsin.

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.

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).

I serve as the City Administrator for the City of Hartford, WI where I have been for the past nine years.  Prior to that I served in similar rolls in the City of West Bend, the Village of Winneconne and was in mid-management in the City of Omro.  In total, I have over 27 years of municipal management experience.  

I am a 2007 MPA graduate of University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. My undergraduate of BS Business Administration/Marketing is from Lakeland University – Sheboygan/Neenah.

I am currently the President-Elect of the Wisconsin City/County Managers Association and am a member of the International City/County Managers Association. 

Being active in my community, I am the past-President of the Hartford Rotary Club, past chair of the Washington County United Way, current board member of the Washington County Boys and Girls Club, Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors club, Past-President of the Municipal Employers Association of South Eastern Wisconsin, Board Member of Froedtert Hospital of West Bend and Board Member of Economic Development Washington County along with board member of many other local and regional organizations. 

I am married and have three adult children including two which are past graduates of UW-O and one of those who works in the Mental Health Counseling Dept at UW-O.

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.