Karen Timberlake

Senior Vice President and President of Child Well-being

Karen Timberlake joined Children’s Wisconsin as the president of Child Well-being in April 2023. In this role, Karen provides executive oversight on all aspects of our child well-being and community health initiatives, and has system-wide responsibility for government relations and advocacy.

Karen served twice as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), from 2008-2011 under Gov. Jim Doyle, and most recently under Gov. Tony Evers from January 2021 until stepping down at the end of 2022. In her most recent role as secretary, she was instrumental in supporting public health during the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, the mpox outbreak and the infant formula shortage. She also worked to reduce disparities in health by investing in telehealth services that made health care more accessible, and by prioritizing investments in organizations working with historically underserved communities. Karen also championed efforts to deepen and expand DHS’s commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in employment practices, policies and programs.

Karen previously advised clients across a variety of industries on policy and advocacy, as well as health care innovation and healthy community investments as a partner for Michael Best Strategies, LLC., and served as Director of the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and as an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

In 2022, Forward Latino recognized Karen as Health Equity Champion of the Year. The United Way of Dane County has twice honored Karen for her community-building and philanthropic efforts.

Karen received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Indiana University and her Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School. She is a long-time board member of the United Way of Dane County, and a newly elected board member of the Wisconsin Primary Health Care Association.