Byron Wirth 
I am running for the position of President – Elect of the Wisconsin Correctional Association and would appreciate your vote.

I started my career in corrections after graduating in 1994 with an Associate Degree in Police Science from Mid-State Technical College.  I worked in the private sector in security related fields and then got hired at the Marathon County Jail in 1998.  I continued in county corrections for the next 17 years holding the positions of Corrections Officer, Lead Corrections Officer in Charge, and Programs Liaison.  I received my Bachelor Degree in Criminal Justice from Lakeland College. I then left the career of working in the County and started with the Department of Corrections as a Probation/Parole Agent working in Region 5 and Region 8. I now currently work as a Supervising Officer 2 (Captain) at Redgranite Correctional Institution.  This varied knowledge of corrections has helped greatly as I can approach situations from all sides.

I have been with the Wisconsin Correctional Association for a number of years and have actively been involved in the Conference Planning.  I started working on operations helping make things run smoothly and had had the privilege of being the Conference Committee Co-Chair.  I have learned a lot from working on this committee and throughout the different positions I have held in my career in Corrections.  I was then elected to the Board of Directors as the County Representative and have tried to work with the local agencies and recruit members to the WCA. 

In my free time I am also a Paramedic/Officer on a private ambulance service.  In that position I have to make spending/purchasing recommendations.  Being a private service, we have to be very frugal with our funds and try to make the best bang for our buck.  I would like to continue bringing that skill set also to the Wisconsin Correctional Association for our members.

By continuing to be active on the board, I hope to not only impart some of the knowledge I have gained throughout my corrections career and other jobs I hold, but to also continue to learn from those around me.  I look forward to your support in voting for me for the position of President - Elect and I hope to see you all at conference soon.  Thank you!

Emily Bortz
Emily has been an enthusiastic WCA member since 2006. She has served on the Board of Directors as the Federal Representative from 2014 – 2018 and was elected the Treasurer in 2018 and has served as the Treasurer since then. Emily is a very dedicated, respectful and hardworking member of the correctional community. She has loved her time spent with the WCA getting to know a great group of people who share the same passion of the correctional field. Emily is looking to give more of her time and energy by continuing to serve as the Treasurer for the WCA.

Emily has been a lifelong resident of Wisconsin. She grew up in Portage, WI, and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice from UW-Madison in 2006. Both of her parents are retired after 25 years from careers in corrections. Her father was employed by the State DOC at Columbia Correctional Institution. Her mother was employed by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and worked at the Federal Correctional Institution at Oxford, WI. Following in their footsteps, Emily pursued a correctional career. She started her pursuit with an internship at Mendota Juvenile Treatment Center in 2006. After her internship, she worked with special needs individuals until beginning her federal career in 2011.

Currently Emily is employed at the Federal Prison in Oxford, WI as a Case Manager. She began her federal career in 2011 as a Correctional Officer and was promoted into the Psychology department in 2013. After working in Psychology for 10 years, she started a new venture with Unit Team where she is now a Case Manager. There are roughly 150 inmates on her caseload that she sees on a regular basis. She works with probation offices and halfway houses to reintegrate inmates back into society. Emily is dedicated and recognized as someone who goes above and beyond to assist those she works with. She has had a number of voluntary duties to include Crisis Negotiation team leader and trainer for the North Central Region of the BOP.

Thank you for considering Emily for Treasurer for the WCA!

Amanda Ditter
Amanda is currently the Corresponding Secretary for WCA and was previously the Co-Chair for the WCA planning committee. Amanda joined the planning committee in 2020 and due to her pride in the organization and enjoyment in helping others, she decided to take on the larger role as a WCA Board Member. Besides her involvement in WCA and after having spent 11 years in Corrections, she is currently the Financial Technology Supervisor for DOA DET. Since 2011 when she started with the DOC, Amanda had been actively involved with WWCS and DAI and was involved in many special projects, and she continues to support DOC as an LTE.

Amanda grew up in Lomira, WI where she was involved in her family-owned mechanic/towing business that her parents ran for 30+ years.   She graduated from UW-Green Bay, were she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration emphasis in Finance and a minor in Accounting.

Following Amanda’s career path, you are able to see that she enjoys being active and involved in change and progress. Key qualities she learned from her parents and always putting someone or something ahead of her wants and needs.  Amanda is looking to continue serving as the Corresponding Secretary for WCA.

Thank you for considering Amanda as Corresponding Secretary for WCA!

Julie A. Beeney
I am proud to have been a nurse for over 40 years with a passion for caring for underserved populations where I am continually wondering—what can we do better for our community?  Copper Lake School/Lincoln Hills School is a community; a community of caring, committed individuals with a common goal of creating an environment of safety that supports youth a path to education, health, and re-integration into all communities. 

I have had an amazing career that I feel has led me to my current position as Health Services Manager for CLS/LHS.  I began my career as a registered nurse in “floor” nursing in the Emergency Department, Trauma Intensive Care, Pediatric Intensive Care, Cardiovascular Intensive Care, and leaderships roles including Nursing Supervisor, Director of Inpatient Services, and Director of Clinical Services.  In these past roles I have worked on many Quality Improvement projects including reducing falls in the hospital setting, a project that still 10 years later can be seen in area hospitals.  I also led the QI team that improved colon cancer screenings by 30% in a large clinic system.  Before accepting my position at CLS/LHS I re-entered the academic world to obtained a Dual Masters in Nursing and Healthcare Administration, all while working full-time and gaining custody of my troubled 6-year-old grandson.  This drove me to seek a place where I could make the biggest impact on improving the physical and mental health of youth.  Which brought me here, the most challenging and rewarding job of my career.  I am proud of my team and of bringing new ways to establish trust with youth in our care and their guardians.  I have established processes where nursing calls the youth parent/guardian on intake to provide an overview of services and obtain medical history.  The added benefit is establishing a relationship from the start.  I have also established collaboration with Safety Staff in accompanying youth for offsite appointments so that a comprehensive plan of care can be established.  But there is work to do and I am committed to doing it.

I would be honored to serve as Corresponding Secretary for The Wisconsin Correctional Association Board of Directors.  I feel my career and life experiences would lend themselves to being an engaged, collaborative, transparent member of this board.  I would represent nor only the healthcare prospective but Correctional and Juvenile dimensions as well. 

Ashley Larson
Ashley Larson graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Computer Information Systems. Ashley started her career with the Department of Corrections in 2013 and has held several positions within the state. She has worked as an Offender Records Associate, Operations Program Associate in the Inmate Complaint department, Warden Secretary, Employment and Training Specialist, and a Program Assistant Confidential. In May 2024, Ashley promoted to Institution Complaint Examiner for Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility and Robert E. Ellsworth Correctional Center. Within her career, Ashley has served on numerous committees such as the Policy and Procedure Committee, Trauma Informed Care, Employee Services, Health and Safety, and Communication and Collaboration. In her spare time, Ashley enjoys traveling, writing, playing card games, and spending time with family and friends.

Charlie Brown
Charlie grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, after returning from his four years with the US Army he earned his Associate’s from Fox Valley Technical College and bachelor’s degree from Lakeland University in Sheboygan. While finishing his Bachelor’s, Charlie started state service with Winnebago Mental Health, then worked in the Department of Corrections for over 20 years. Many of you will recognize Charlie from efforts with inmate services for the department including canteen, hobby, property, tablets and kiosks. These are just some of the programs that followed Charlie as he moved from Waupun Correctional, to the Wisconsin Women’s Correctional System, and to Green Bay Correctional.

Charlie left Corrections when he took the position of CFO and Bureau Director for the Bureau of Business Services within the Department of Administration, Division of Enterprise Technology. At that time of his departure from DAI, he was still the IMT Leader and had been the Logistics Chief for the DOC’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak since the EOC was set up.

Many of you will know Charlie from his twenty years in corrections. He supports continual education and completed his Master’s degree from Lakeland University in 2001, he has also always represented the importance of understanding business needs of corrections as each institution requires the resources of a small municipality. Although he is now a director in DOA\DET he has retained his WCA membership, attended the conferences, and is on the Planning Committee for the conference. The business of corrections, vendor relations, and the future of the DOC is still something he values.

As the State Representative I will continue to find ways to continue strengthening relationships between WCA and other agencies in effort to educate and communicate the value corrections plays in our communities.  

Thank you for considering me as you State Representative for the Wisconsin Correctional Association!

Paul Krombos
I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2017. I am currently a correctional officer at Dodge Correctional Institution. My goal is to be the state representative on the Board of Directors. My qualifications include my involvement in other leadership roles such as, being a member of the DOC Equity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, being the chair to the Policy and Procedure Subcommittee, being a senator for the UW-Platteville Student Senate, and being the Director of Student Organizations for the UW-Platteville Student Senate. I believe I have the needed dedication and drive to serve you all as your state representative.