Communications Manager, Tanya Buckingham Andersen buckingham.tanya@danecounty.gov
Astra Iheukumere has been appointed Interim Director of Dane County Human Services, effective August 1, 2022. In 2019, Iheukumere became the first Deputy Director in the department. In her role, she focused on internal operations, communications, policy and procedure development, long-term strategic planning, program evaluation, and institutional practice as related to equity and inclusion.
At the heart of every leadership position that Interim Director Iheukumere has held is community. Previously, she served as the Director of Strategic Partnerships for Madison Metropolitan School District; Assistant Director of Community Networks and National Partnerships, UW-Madison’s County Health Rankings & Roadmaps Program; Deputy Mayor and Public Safety Liaison to the Mayor of Madison. Iheukumere holds an undergraduate degree in Political Science and two Master’s degrees in Public Administration and Business Administration from UW-Madison.
Iheukumere is a convener, both with the teams she leads, collaborative partners, and the community in which she lives. She is excited about expanding her service to the community and continuing to support and celebrate the work of Human Services staff and partners in this new role. There are several goals that will inform Iheukumere’s approach to the Interim Director role:
• Provide a sense of continuity and stability to Department staff, stakeholder relationships, and day-to-day operations in pursuit of DCDHS’ mission.
• Explore and implement ways to strengthen department culture so that DCDHS’s values are not only known, but also experienced daily by our staff, partners, and customers.
• Focus and respond to the heartbeat of the community—especially marginalized people throughout Dane County.
• Elevate and honor employee voice and collaborate with staff to realize DCDHS’s vision of Dane County being a place with “Empowered people thriving in safe, just and caring communities.”
Iheukumere is dedicated to social justice and is driven to do things that positively impact people’s lives in big ways to help them become their best selves. “Dane County is fortunate to have such a committed leader,” former Director Shawn Tessmann said, “it is the right time for Astra’s expertise and vision for Human Services.”
