MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Women’s Council is pleased to share recent changes to its leadership and announce new members:
Jenifer D. Cole was hired in the fall to serve as the new Executive Director for the Women’s Council. She replaces former director, Christine Lidbury, who retired after 18 years of service in the role. Since 2010, Jenifer has held various positions in state government, including with the Department Workforce Development (DWD), Department of Children and Families (DCF), and the Supreme Court of Wisconsin’s Office of Lawyer Regulation and Board of Bar Examiners. She most recently served as DWD’s Legislative Liaison for two years after serving as DCF’s Deputy Legislative Liaison.
Jenifer has also worked and volunteered for numerous women’s organizations in Wisconsin, New York, and California. Of note, she served on the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Women’s Network (WWN) for eight years, including as President from 2016-2017. From 2019-2022, she served as the lead instructor for the WWN’s Policy Institute, an intersectional policy advocacy training for women in Wisconsin. Jenifer has a Master’s in Public Affairs, with a concentration in Social Justice and Human Rights and graduate certificate in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Gender Studies from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. In 2021, Jenifer completed the Certified Public Manager program at UW-Madison.
Denise Gaumer Hutchison, originally appointed to the Women’s Council in 2019, has been appointed by Governor Tony Evers to serve as the Council Chair. “I am honored to accept Governor Evers’ appointment to serve as the Chair of this bi-partisan Council,” said Chair Gaumer Hutchison. “One of the greatest gifts in life is the opportunity to live a life to full potential and the work of the Women’s Council is to ensure that women, children, and their families have access to resources, services, programs, healthcare, and all the other great benefits of living in Wisconsin that will allow them to have an impactful life.”
Denise is the Northeast Regional Organizer for the Wisconsin Public Education Network. Previously, she worked for WEAC (Wisconsin Education Association Council) as an Outreach Coordinator during election seasons and for WEA Trust as a Field Representative where she worked with over 100 school districts in northeast Wisconsin on their benefit packages. She also serves on the board of the League of Women Voters of Greater Green Bay. Denise is a graduate of Iowa State University with a degree in Communications. She lives in New Franken, just outside Green Bay with her husband and two children.
Gabby Aranda-Pino has been appointed to the Women’s Council by Governor Tony Evers. “I’m thrilled to be a part of the Wisconsin Women’s Council as a governor’s appointee,” said Aranda Pino. “It is exciting to be able to work with strong, ambitious, like-minded women to improve the quality of life for women and girls throughout the state of Wisconsin.”
Gabby works as a Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) Supervisor for Public Health Madison & Dane County. She has a Master’s in Public Health from George Washington University in Washington, DC with a focus on SRH/women’s health and obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Gender and Women’s Studies with a certificate in Integrated Studies of Science, Engineering, and Society from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She Gabby was born and raised in Madison as a first-generation Venezuelan American whose first language is Spanish. She lives with her partner, Kyle, and two dogs, Rufo and Olive in Madison.
Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (R-Appleton) and Senator Dianne Hesselbein (D-Middleton) have been appointed by Senate Majority Leader Devin LeMahieu to serve on the Wisconsin Women’s Council. Sen. Cabral-Guevara previously served on the Council for two years as an Assembly member. This is Sen. Hesselbein’s first term serving on the Council.
ABOUT THE WISCONSIN WOMEN’S COUNCIL
The Wisconsin Women’s Council, celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2023, is Wisconsin’s statutory commission on the status of women and girls. The Council promotes initiatives that empower women, serve as a clearinghouse for information on programs and resources, conducts research, and promotes unique partnerships to address barriers and inequalities affecting Wisconsin women. The Council is guided by a 15-member board appointed by the Governor and Legislative leaders. For more information about the Wisconsin Women’s Council, visit our website at: https://womenscouncil.wi.gov.
