About Us

The Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program is a program of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies, Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies. Thank you for the opportunity to get to know you and serve your learning needs. The instructors who teach for the WCPM program are all experts in their fields with years of experience in government management. On this page, you will find information about our staff and instructors (including a profile of a "featured" instructor) and, when available, contact information.

• CPM staff
• Featured instructor Jeff Russell
• Instructor descriptions

CPM staff

Susan Paddock is a Professor of Governmental Affairs in the Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies and the director of the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program. Phone: 608-262-2576. E-mail: spaddock@dcs.wisc.edu.

Robbi Dreifuerst is the associate director of the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program. Phone: 608-262-3830. E-mail: rdreifuerst@dcs.wisc.edu.

Shannon Schaefer is the program assistant of the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program. Phone: 608-262-4354. E-mail: sschaefer@dcs.wisc.edu

New! Each month, UW Madison features a member of its staff who exemplifies The Wisconsin Idea -- that "the boundaries of campus are the boundaries of the state." CPM Director Susan Paddock is currently featured on The Wisconsin Idea webpage on UW-Madison's website. Check it out at:
http://www.wisconsinidea.wisc.edu/profiles/Paddock/

Instructors of the Wisconsin CPM program

Featured Instructor: Jeff Russell

Jeff Russell, co-director of Russell Consulting, Inc. (RCI) with his wife Linda, specializes in helping leaders build productive, supportive, and motivating work environments. RCI helps companies develop their leadership and strengthen team performance to achieve their great performance goals and outcomes. By guiding the exploration of key values held in common by organizational members and developing strategies and actions to express these values-in-action, RCI helps organizations achieve their strategic vision. Through processes that include "visioning" retreats, Future Search conferences, process redesigns, improving decision making processes, implementing quality improvement strategies, and providing a variety of skill-building seminars, RCI enhances long-term organizational effectiveness and performance.

Consulting Expertise

Jeff conducts an array of leadership and team development seminars on such topics as:

• business process reengineering
• decision making and problem solving
• leadership and strategic thinking/planning
• leading change
• managing conflict and win/win negotiations
• performance coaching skills
• performance management
• project management
• team building fundamentals
• team leadership and facilitation skills
• total quality tools and techniques
• train the trainer

Jeff consults with public and private organizations in the areas of:

• balanced scorecards/dashboards
• customer and employee focus groups
• developing leadership
• employee attitude surveys
• employee retention programs
• Future Search conferences
• leading and implementing change
• organizational design
• self-managed teams
• systems thinking applications for business
• team assessment and intervention
• total quality management
• training needs assessment
• visioning and strategic planning

Training Expertise and Professional Background:

Jeff serves as an adjunct faculty member at UW Madison, UW-Milwaukee, and UW-Green Bay. He is also on the teaching faculty of the UW-Madison and UW Milwaukee Small Business Development Centers.

Jeff has a bachelor's in Humanism and Cultural Change and a Masters of Science degree in Industrial Relations from UW-Madison. Before forming RCI, Jeff served as human resource coordinator for the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA). At DOA, Jeff developed and coordinated their employee assistance, leadership and employee development, and equal employment opportunity/affirmative action programs.

Conference Presenter and Author

Jeff and his wife Linda have co-authored six management books: Managing Change, Managing the Problem Employee, So You Want to be a CEO?, Leading Change Training, Strategic Planning Training, and Change Basics (ASTD Press, 2006).

Learn more about Jeff by visiting his Website at www.russellconsulting.com

Instructor Descriptions

Instructors are listed in alphabetical order. More instructors and information to be added soon.

• Marni Bekkedal is a neuroscientist with expertise in brain chemistry and the processing of emotions. Her teaching emphasizes the importance of the brain in emotions and controlling our behaviors, making complex neuroscience understandable and applicable to daily life.
• Eng Braun is former administrator of the Division of Research and Analysis in the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
• Harold Coltharp has worked for the State Records Center of the Wisconsin Department of Administration for over 11 years.  He is a Wisconsin Certified Public Manager and has been a member of the Madison chapter of the Association of Records Managers and Administrators for over ten years.
• Jeanine Crtichley is director of the UW-Madison Office of Risk Management.
• Michael Daun is deputy comptroller for the City of Milwaukee.
• Robbi Dreifuerst is an outreach program manager in the Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies at UW-Madison and coordinator of the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program.
• Boris Frank, president of Boris Frank Associates, is a nationwide consultant on fundraising, proposal writing, and grants development.
• Susan Fuszard is a trainer with Living on Purpose Training & Consulting who has a wealth of experience in the field of employee assistance.
• Sarah Gibson is president of Accent Business Communication in Madison, a training and development firm she founded in 2004.
• Dan Gilbert is a managing partner in Barrett and Gilbert Law Offices, and a graduate of the FBI Academy National Law Institute.  He has taught law courses to judges, prosecutors, police executives and  public managers throughout the United States.
• Al Guyant is a nationally recognized trainer, facilitator, coach, and author with over 35 years of experience.
• Bob Hanle has been a team leader in the State Budget Office in the Department of Administration for twelve years, working in Wisconsin state government for more than 25 years.
• Mary Hoddy coordinates Staff Education and Training at UW-Madison's Wisconsin Union, where she develops and facilitates programs in communication skills, coaching, management, learning styles and workshop design. 
• Alice Honeywell has helped adults improve their writing skills for more than 20 years.  She has worked at both the University of Wisconsin Press and the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Affairs, and has written and edited for a variety of business, nonprofit and public sector organizations.
• Sue Hunter is a trainer with Living on Purpose Training & Consulting. She has been a trainer in the areas of wellness, stress management, EAP, alcohol and other drug abuse prevention and intervention for over 25 years.
• Tim Jeffery is a human resource consultant who previously served 14 years as director of labor relations for the City of Madison and 11 years as director of human resources for the Madison Metropolitan School District.
• Keith Krinke is the former director of Finance, Budget and Management for the Wisconsin Technical College System. He has extensive experience in public sector labor relations and negotiations at both the state and local level.
• Mordecai Lee is a professor of governmental affairs at UW-Milwaukee and coordinator of UW-Extension's Governmental Affairs Consortium.  He has also served 3 terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly and 2 terms as a State Senator.
• Tyrone Letto is manager of Middleware in the Division of Information Technology at UW-Madison.  He formerly served as chief of the General Applications Section in the Division of Enterprise Technology in the Wisconsin Department of Administration.  Ty is also a Wisconsin Certified Public Manager.
• Peter Maier is the director of research and planning at the Center for Self-Sufficiency in Milwaukee, a non-profit organization that offers its services through partnerships with federal agencies, and state and local governments.
• Helen McCain is the director of the Bureau of Procurement in the Wisconsin Department of Administration.
• Gregg Miller, co-director of ProfCen Enterprises, Inc.,specializes in supervisory strategies and employee retention. 
• Susan Paddock is a professor of governmental affairs in the Department of Professional Development and Applied Studies at UW-Madison and director of the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager Program.
• Jeff Russell, co-director of Russell Consulting, Inc., specializes in helping organizations successfully respond to the challenges of continuous change with a focus on leadership, strategic thinking, leading change, and performance coaching  
• Guy VanRensselaer is an organizational improvement specialist with the City of Madison who teaches classes in productivity and quality management throughout the state.

WCPM is a program of the
Department of Professional Development & Applied Studies
610 Langdon St., Rm. 313.....Madison WI 53703
Phone: 608-263-2088 or .....(800) 442-4617
Fax: 608-265-2329.....E-mail: pdas@dcs.wisc.edu