Menominee County seeks two residents for Human Services Board openings

Two seats on the Menominee County Human Services Board are open as the county looks for residents willing to help shape decisions that affect mental health, substance abuse, disability services and other day-to-day supports for families, adults and children across Menominee County.

The board does more than sit in an advisory role. Under Wisconsin Statutes 46.23, it is part of the county human services department itself, alongside the director and staff. The board supervises and administers programs, sets administrative and program procedures and priorities, evaluates how services are delivered, helps prepare budgets and works with other agencies. It also represents the department in negotiations under state law.

County officials said the board meets once a month and that members receive compensation, including mileage, for their participation. The current opening is for two-year terms that run through the third Tuesday of May 2028. Applicants must be adult residents of Menominee County, and their letters of interest must explain their recognized ability and demonstrated interest in human services, along with whether they or an immediate family member receive human services.

The county board is accepting letters of interest through May 13, 2026, and plans to appoint a new member at its May 19 meeting at 5 p.m. The county’s Human Services Board page currently lists Eugene Caldwell, Douglas Cox Sr. and Eva Johnson as county board current members.

The openings matter because the county human services department is responsible for administering programs for families, adults and children who need help with mental health, substance abuse and disability issues, while also promoting the health and safety of the community. In practice, that means the board helps influence the priorities behind services residents rely on before those decisions reach county staff and the people they serve.

The board has been active through 2026, with public minutes posted for Jan. 21, Feb. 18 and Mar. 26. Recent minutes show members dealing with contracts, fiscal reports and program updates, including behavioral health-related matters. In March 2024, Laure Pecore and Liz Wanetan said they would not run again for the Human Services Board, showing that turnover on the panel has been part of recent county business.

County postings also show a date discrepancy on the length of the new terms, with one notice saying the seats run through the third Tuesday of April 2028 and another saying May 2028. The county’s strategic planning work is already underway, with a 2024-2026 Human Services Strategic Plan updated in November 2024, so the next appointees would step into an active policy and oversight role rather than a blank slate.