Mr. Voelker became the Secretary of the Department of Employee Trust Funds in April 2021. He joined ETF in 2014 as the Deputy Secretary. Mr. Voelker has more than 30 years of public service experience. Prior to joining ETF, he served 11 years as the Wisconsin Director of State Courts. During his 22 years with the court system, Mr. Voelker also served as the Assistant to the Chief Justice and as a Senior Policy Analyst.
A native of Menasha, Wisconsin, Mr. Voelker holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Shirley Eckes
Deputy Secretary
Ms. Eckes became the Deputy Secretary of the Department in May 2021. She has more than 30 years of public and private sector experience. Ms. Eckes served as Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and as Chief Operating Officer at the State of Wisconsin Investment Board, the state agency that manages the Wisconsin Retirement System investments. She also worked with a global information technology and business consulting firm to lead digital transformation initiatives.
A native of Wausau, Wisconsin, Ms. Eckes is a Certified Public Accountant, holds bachelors’ degrees in accounting and finance from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and completed Masters of Science level biotechnology coursework at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Pam Henning
Assistant Deputy Secretary
Ms. Henning has been with the Department since 1998 and previously served in various management positions including the Management Services Division Administrator, Human Resources Director, Legislative Liaison, and Office of Strategic Services Director. Ms. Henning held past positions in the State Legislature, Department of Employment Relations and the State Budget Office at the Department of Administration.
Ms. Henning has a Master of Arts degree in public policy and administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Robert M. La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, with a concentration in personnel and labor relations and a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration and political science from UW-La Crosse.
