Meet Our Staff & BoardOur staff and board members’ have extensive experience in advocacy and health & human services across Wisconsin. This means that our members have immediate, 1:1 access to help developing relationships with policymakers, workforce training, and—above all—a community that supports them and the work they do to ensure Wisconsin’s children and families reach their full potential. Our Staff![]() Kathy Markeland, Executive DirectorKathy joined the WAFCA staff in 2007 and was selected to serve as Executive Director in 2019 to guide the continued growth of the Association. Prior to joining WAFCA, Kathy served for eight years as an associate director for the Wisconsin Catholic Conference—the public policy voice for Wisconsin’s Roman Catholic bishops. She also served for seven years at the Wisconsin Counties Association, where she provided both member support and public policy advocacy services to elected representatives on Wisconsin’s 72 county boards. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Behavioral Science and Law in 1992 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. More about Kathy...
Allyson Forseth, Director of Education & CommunicationsAllyson joined the WAFCA team in 2020 and stepped into her current role in 2024, bringing a strong background in education, facilitation, and trauma-informed practice. She has over a decade of experience supporting children, families, educators, and teams through direct service, inclusive group facilitation, and systems-level capacity building. At WAFCA, Allyson leads communications and educational initiatives—including social media and email management, planning and direction of professional learning opportunities, and facilitating a Committee dedicated to ABIDE (Accessibility, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity). She earned a Bachelor of Science in K-12 Education from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2015 and is a proud first-generation college graduate. Allyson is bilingual in Spanish and English.
|