Wisconsin Department of Health Services Secretary Kitty Rhoades died Saturday after falling ill earlier this week, according to Governor Scott Walker’s office, which released a statement.
Kitty’s dedication and service to the state have changed Wisconsin for the better, and she leaves behind a long list of accomplishments as her legacy. She also leaves behind many friends in my administration, who admired her tenacity, spirit, and leadership. We will miss all that she offered to us on behalf of Wisconsin citizens. As Kitty would say, we are all in this together.
Walker appointed Rhoades as secretary of the Department of Health Services in February 2013. She had worked in the agency as deputy secretary since 2011.
Rhoade also served in the Wisconsin state Assembly from 1999 to 2011. A Republican from Hudson, she was chair of the Assembly’s Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and co-chair of the Joint Finance Committee. Rhoades was 65.
