MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today announced Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary Jeff Pertl will be leaving the Evers Administration. Pertl, who originally joined the Evers Administration in 2019, when the governor appointed him as deputy secretary, previously also worked under the governor when he was then-state superintendent at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

“Jeff has been a dedicated public servant over the course of his career, and I’m incredibly grateful for his leadership and many years of service to our administration and the people of Wisconsin,” said Gov. Evers. “I know DCF will continue to be in exceptional hands with Nadya filling the role, and I look forward to our work together in the coming months.” 

Prior to his recent roles at DCF under the Evers Administration, Pertl was the senior policy advisor for the Office of the State Superintendent at DPI from 2009 to 2018, where he worked on issues around early childhood education, school finance, and closing the achievement gap. In this role, Pertl was the department’s liaison to DCF and worked collaboratively on early childhood and family policy issues.

“I know the department is set up for continued success and the rest of the leadership team will ensure its important work moves forward without interruption,” said Pertl. “DCF is in great hands because of the strength, experience, and dedication of the people who serve there every day.”

Additionally, Pertl has also served as a Dane County Supervisor, working on local government financial, personnel, and human services issues. Pertl received his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison and his Master of Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. As a child of divorced parents, Pertl experienced firsthand the vital role child support has in creating a positive, stable family environment. As an adult, he and his wife have been licensed foster parents, and their two kids were adopted at birth in Wisconsin.

Longtime leader at DCF, Deputy Secretary Nadya Pérez-Reyes will serve as acting secretary after Pertl’s departure, which is effective today. Pérez-Reyes was appointed deputy secretary in September 2024 and has served in the Evers Administration since 2019.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity from Gov. Evers to continue serving DCF and the people of Wisconsin and look forward to continuing our work to support kids and families across our state,” said Pérez-Reyes.

Prior to working at DCF, Pérez-Reyes worked as an attorney with the Wisconsin State Public Defender in the Milwaukee Juvenile and Mental Health Office, where she represented children in youth justice and child protection proceedings and parents in termination of parental rights (TPR) cases, as well as in the Washington and Ozaukee County Trial offices, representing both adults and children. Pérez-Reyes was also an attorney at Legal Action of Wisconsin.

Pérez-Reyes has a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts, and a Juris Doctor from UW-Madison. 

An online version of this release is available here.