Gov. Scott Walker announced Thursday the appointment of Jessie Nicholson of Wauwatosa to the Women's Council Board. 

“I look forward to having Jessie serve on the Women’s Council Board,” Walker said.  “Jessie’s diverse experiences will provide a great perspective for the board.”

Nicholson lives in Wauwatosa with her family. A stay-at home mom, Nicholson is an active parent volunteer in the PTSA, as well as other community organizations.

Her previous professional roles include speechwriter for the secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (Washington, DC); acting/assistant director of communications for Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty (St. Paul, MN); various roles at the Minnesota House of Representatives (St. Paul, MN); and marketing communications contract writer for GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (Wilmington, NC). 

She also served as a key volunteer for the 2^nd Combat Engineer Battalion (Camp Lejeune, NC), while her husband served as an active duty Marine Corps officer. She is a graduate of the College of St. Scholastica. She is married to Kevin, a member of the Wisconsin Board of Veterans Affairs, and has two children. 

Nicholson will be a tremendous asset to the Women’s Council board as they forward their public education and outreach on financial literacy and develop other issues they will address in the biennium ahead. 

“As an at-home mom connected to her community and with her expertise in areas of marketing and communications, Mrs. Nicholson brings important perspective, skills, and experience to the policy table and will help us bring our financial literacy message to women all across the state of Wisconsin,” said Mary Jo K. Baas, chairwoman of the Women’s Council.

"The Women's Council is fortunate to operate with a talented board of business, civic and community leaders who come together from locations around the state and bring to our work a wide range of experiences, interests, and expertise."

The Women’s Council is Wisconsin’s statutory commission on the status of women and girls. Established in 1983, the Council promotes initiatives that empower women, serves as a clearinghouse for information on women’s programs and promotes unique partnerships to address issues affecting Wisconsin women.

The Council is governed by a 15-member board that is appointed by the governor and legislative leaders. For more information about the Wisconsin Women's Council, visit the website at http://womenscouncil.wi.gov.