DCF Secretary-designee Amundson announces first appointments to leadership team

(MADISON) – Wisconsin Department of Children and Families (DCF) Secretary-designee Emilie Amundson announced today her first appointments to her leadership team.

Jeff Pertl has been named deputy secretary. Pertl spent the last decade as senior policy advisor at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI), collaborating with DCF on early childhood and family policy issues. He also served on the Madison Community Foundation and as a Dane County Supervisor. He and his wife have been licensed foster parents and their two boys were adopted at birth in Wisconsin.

Danielle Melfi has been named assistant secretary. Melfi most recently served as an aide to Senator Tammy Baldwin and was a member of Governor Evers’ transition team. Prior to that she led government affairs for Thorn, a nonprofit that builds technology to defend children from sexual abuse, and helped Deloitte Consulting launch an anti-human trafficking practice.

Amundson will announce more appointments as they are made.