Meet Our Team

Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives

Phone: 715-421-8915

Email: Kristie.Egge@woodcountywi.gov

A strategic visionary, Kristie oversees Healthy People Wood County teams and partnerships. With more than 14 years of public health experience, Kristie has overseen well over $3 million dollars in grant funding and has instructed numerous students, interns, AmeriCorps and fellows. Kristie participates in teams statewide and nationally and has successfully implemented strategies across Wood County to tackle health issues around mental health, substance use, chronic disease, and childhood development. She is driven by making systemic changes to improve health outcomes, especially focused on inequities.

Originally from Osseo, Kristie resides in Wisconsin Rapids with her husband and three children. She has a strong passion for the community and wants everyone to have a fair opportunity to be as healthy as possible. She is one-of-a-kind and we are lucky to have her!

Community Health Worker

Phone: 715-421-8932

Email: Ashley.Arendt@woodcountywi.gov

Ashley has been at the Health Department since 2014. After graduating from UW-Stevens Point, she held an AmeriCorps service position at the Health Department working with Recreate Health to identify and label healthy menu items at restaurants and increase the amount of local and fresh produce into school lunch lines.

Ashley lives with her husband in Grand Rapids. They have a German Shepherd/Husky mix home dog named Wazee and a Belgian Malinois K9 named Timo. Ashley has a strong passion for health and wellness and in her free time loves to run (MILES!) and take Wazee for walks.

Public Health Strategist

IMPACT Team Co-Coordinator

Phone: 715-421-8923

Email: Ashley.Normington@woodcountywi.gov

Ashley is a Wood County native with over a decade of substance use prevention experience in Wood County. After graduating from UW-Stevens Point with a degree in Health Promotion/Wellness, she became an AmeriCorps member for two years serving the Marshfield Area Coalition for Youth (MACY). Ashley was then hired by Marshfield Clinic and became the MACY Coalition Coordinator. She joined Wood County Health Department’s Healthy People team in 2017 focusing on substance use-related health disparities. She continues doing what she loves: forming positive relationships with community partners to help our residents live their best lives!

Ashley resides just outside of Pittsville with her husband and three children. Fun fact about Ashley: she played four years of college basketball for the UWSP Pointers, and her family is in the cranberry business where they own and operate Saddle Mound Cranberry.

Community Health Planner

Phone: 715-421-8948

Email: Bailey.Slark@woodcountywi.gov

Bailey was born and raised in Marshfield and returned to her hometown a few years ago. She has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Whitewater. Bailey is passionate about health, wellness, and serving others. During her impactful service at the Health Department for AmeriCorps, she discovered her interest in and passion for public health. In her free time, she enjoys art, crafting, cooking, baking, gardening, and spending time with family and friends and her dog, Zoey.

Public Health Strategist

Phone: 715-421-8907

Email: Jacob.Wagner@woodcountywi.gov

Jacob is a true mid-westerner: He was born in Kansas, grew up in Iowa, attended college in Illinois, and now calls Wisconsin his home. Jacob received his Master of Science in Health Science with a Public Health focus from Western Illinois University. Jacob’s thesis focused on mental health and substance abuse. He joined the Wood County Health Department in April 2021 following Healthy People Wood County receiving the federal Drug Free Communities funding. Before joining Wood County, he worked as a certified substance abuse counselor. Jacob provides staff support to IMPACT, focusing on youth substance use prevention efforts.

Jacob has a passion for strengthening communities and helping individuals live the highest quality of life possible. Jacob lives in Wisconsin Rapids and looks forward to learning all central Wisconsin offers. In his spare time he likes to play music, create art, and explore new areas. He enjoys learning about history and different cultures and beliefs.

Public Health Policy and Communication Coordinator

Phone: 715-421-8926

Email: Kayleigh.Mengel@woodcountywi.gov

Our team welcomed Kayleigh in April 2020, bringing with her a wealth of diverse work experiences. She has worked in various fields, including retail, food and nutrition, housing and homelessness, and substance use prevention. Currently, she is focused on housing and incarceration work for Healthy People Wood County. Kayleigh has a Master of Science in Health and Wellness Management from UW-Stevens Point. Kayleigh's passion lies in breaking down barriers and increasing access to services to help individuals live healthy lives.

Kayleigh is a native of Wood County and recently relocated to Clark County to start a farm with her family. She enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring new places, trying different recipes, and spending time with her loved ones, including her beloved pets.

Epidemiologist

Phone: 715-421-8929

Email: Niki.Lucht@woodcountywi.gov

Niki (she/her) was born and raised in Wisconsin and has worked in almost all regions of the state for multiple public health organizations including UW Health, UW Population Health Institute, Winnebago County Health Department, Outagamie County Public Health, and the Zilber School of Public Health. After completing her Master of Public Health degree in Public Health Policy & Administration, Niki continued her public health training as a Population Health Service Fellow, serving the Wood County Health Department from 2017-2019. Niki rejoined the team as an official Wood County Health Department employee in 2022. She is passionate about improving community health issues through equitable policy solutions. In 2024, Niki was appointed as the epidemiologist for the department.

Outside of work, Niki and her husband never have a dull moment spending time with their identical twin daughters, Madison & Miley, and their cats, Luna, Lily, & Lucky.

Community Health Worker

PATCH Coordinator

Phone: 715-421-8931

Email: Alyssa.Gollon@woodcountywi.gov

Alyssa was raised in Wisconsin Rapids and still lives in this community today. She is currently a student at MSTC to obtain her associates degree in health and wellness promotion. Alyssa is looking forward to graduating in May 2024. She is coming into the Wood County Health Department with a background in wedding planning and group fitness instruction. She most recently taught a senior aerobics class at the ADRC in Portage County. She is looking forward to her new role as a Community Health Worker and PATCH Site Coordinator. Alyssa is coming to the Health Department with a passion for teaching others the importance of health and wellness.

When Alyssa is not working in the community, she enjoys raising her 5 kids and wrangling her 2 big dogs. In her spare time, Alyssa enjoys being in her garden talking to her plants and going for long peaceful hikes in the woods.

Community Health Worker

Regional Farmers Market Coordinator

Phone: 715.315.1282

Email: Taylor.Christiansen@woodcountywi.gov

Taylor is originally from New Berlin, Wisconsin and made her trek to the Central Wisconsin area in 2011 when she pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Later in 2019, she graduated with a Master’s Degree in Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems.

She has grown a love of local food and farmers through work at the Stevens Point Farmer’s Market, starting a gleaning program, as well as an AmeriCorps member at Central Rivers Farmshed. These connections led to working at local farms Lonely Oak in Milladore, WI and Whitefeather Organics in Custer, WI. When pursuing her Master’s Degree, she was introduced to Health Equity work in Wood County through a program that partnered with HPWC. Since then, she has continued to be involved with local food and businesses by working at Family Natural Foods in Wisconsin Rapids, and now the Stevens Point Area Co-op. In March 2022 Taylor joined the Health Department as the Regional Farmers Market Coordinator on a USDA Local Food Promotion Grant to increase food access and equity at seven Central Wisconsin Farmer’s Markets.

Now Taylor lives in her dream home in Stevens Point with her cat Mabel and a huge garden. In her free time, she is an avid reader and food preserver and later this fall she will start her third year of curling.

Community Health Worker

Phone: 715-421-8530

Email: hannah.wendels@wisc.edu

Hannah joined the team in the summer of 2019 after completing her internship with the Wood County Health Department's Environmental Health team. Not wanting to say goodbye to the relationships and work she engaged in during her internship, Hannah began working with Healthy People Wood County on projects such as the Wisconsin Rapids Downtown Farmers Market and River Riders Bike Share. Now Hannah manages the River Riders Bike Share program and its expansion into north Wood County, the Marshfield Community Bike Share program. Hannah also continues to work with the farmers market team. In addition to her role with Healthy People Wood County, Hannah is a full-time Nutrition Educator for Extension Wood County's FoodWIse program. This position allows Hannah to build relationships and offer collaboration between Extension and the Wood County Health Department.

Hannah grew up in Kellner and now lives in Plover with her fiancé. She enjoys taking her dog, Luna, for walks and spending time with her family. She enjoys running and playing/coaching soccer whenever she can get the chance!