Crowley announces chief of staff, transition team members

Gov.-elect David Crowley has appointed the most central member of his upcoming administration, along with members of his transition team. On Wednesday, Crowley’s office announced that Jeff Pertl will act as chief of staff. Pertl has held multiple leadership positions in Gov. Tony Evers’ administration. He previously led Evers’ Department of Children and Families. Prior to his work there, he was a senior policy advisor at Wisconsin’s Department of Public Instruction, when Evers was state superintendent. Understanding Wisconsin, Together. WPR’s “Wisconsin Today” newsletter keeps you connected to the state you love without feeling overwhelmed. No paywall. No agenda. No corporate filter. LinkedIn This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Email Subscribe That powerful chief of staff position acts as a kind of manager for a governor’s administration, overseeing senior staff, coordinating a governor’s schedule and working closely on a governor’s policy agenda. In a statement, Crowley said that Pertl offers a “deep commitment to serving Wisconsin families.” “I’m confident Jeff will be an invaluable partner as we build an administration focused on bringing people together, making life more affordable for working families, and moving Wisconsin forward,” Crowley said. Crowley also announced a dozen members of his transition team, who will be overseen by Thad Nation, a longtime Democratic consultant and strategist. Alex Lasry, a former Milwaukee Bucks executive and former U.S. Senate candidate, will also serve on the transition team. Other members include Democratic political staffers, representatives from the Ho-Chunk Nation and Hmong communities, healthcare leaders, an immigration advocate and a former Dane County assistant district attorney. In a previous interview with WPR , Crowley said his goal for the transition team was to be able to “hit the ground running once we are sworn in on Jan. 4.” He also said that a chief goal for his future administration is to hire people who are “representative of the entire state.” “There are folks who have supported us, who have the expertise and the relationships all over the state, and we want to be … making sure that we’re just as diverse in our cabinet as we are as the state of Wisconsin,” he said. “That doesn’t just necessarily mean race and gender, but that also means geographical locations and things of that nature.” On Tuesday, the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee unanimously approved $124,200 to cover the cost of Crowley’s transition. Wisconsin Public Radio, © Copyright 2026, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board. Related Stories Crowley speaks to his transition plans as governor-elect Democrat David Crowley makes history, defeats Tom Tiffany in Wisconsin governor’s race David Crowley’s pragmatic record a double-edged sword in Wisconsin governor’s race Crowley puts focus on abortion issue as election nears Mainstream Democrats pin hopes on David Crowley’s reboot campaign for governor