Caroline Gómez-Tom (she/her/ella), a Chicana from Racine, WI attended UW-Madison from 2006-2011. She attended public schools throughout her life and attending UW-Madison was the logical next step as she “wanted to attend the best public school in the state.” During her time at UW, Caroline majored in Political Science and Social Work. She attended graduate school right after completing her undergraduate studies and graduated with a Master’s Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in social policy.

After graduating in 2011, Caroline stayed in Madison and began working for Covering Kids and Families, now Covering Wisconsin. She started as an Outreach Specialist, but with the rollout of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Caroline soon became a statewide expert in the new law. At the end of 2013, she moved to Milwaukee to serve as a bilingual Navigator and eventually the Navigator Collaborative and Milwaukee Enrollment Network program manager. Caroline supervised a team of Navigators that helped people enroll in affordable health insurance coverage in 23 Wisconsin counties.

From August 2019 through November 2021, Caroline served as the Director of Patient and Community Engagement at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. She played a key role in disseminating information about COVID-19 and how people can stay safe in the 53204 and 53215, predominantly Latine communities. Throughout the pandemic, this part of Milwaukee experienced the highest rate of COVID-19 cases. When other state and federal entities released information in English, Caroline and her partners quickly translated the information into Spanish and shared the information with partners. Caroline also led the COVID-19 vaccine outreach campaigns alongside key southside Milwaukee partners. Sixteenth Street was the go-to organization in Milwaukee for COVID-19 information in Spanish during the initial months of the pandemic.

In November 2021, Caroline returned to Covering Wisconsin and in March 2022 became the Enrollment Network and Accessibility Manager. She was tasked to prepare community partners who will assist the 1.6 million people who have to renew their health insurance through the  state’s Medicaid and BadgerCare Plus for the first time in 3 years. During the pandemic, these individuals were automatically re-enrolled into their respective programs. Caroline’s role specifically works to create partnerships and ensure that no one falls through the cracks as the “normal” Medicaid renewal process is re-enacted. Her work helps to train and share information with partners to reach out to the community and to connect partners to the network of statewide Navigator and Enrollment Assisters who can support the Medicaid members with the renewal process or guide them as they transition to other forms of health insurance coverage.

Additionally, Caroline serves as the President of the City of Milwaukee Board of Health. She has served on the Board since August 2019 and was elected President in September 2022. She helped to advise the Milwaukee Health Department through the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to provide insight and guidance about public health proposals and policies.

Since graduating from UW, she has achieved a great deal. In 2015, Caroline helped Milwaukee win the White House Health Community Health Challenge, a “competition” that measured the increase in the number of people enrolled in health insurance through HealthCare.gov. Milwaukee had the highest percentage increase of the 19 metropolitan areas measured. By helping Milwaukee win this challenge, Caroline won the city the honor of having President Obama visit to celebrate. In 2016, she was honored as one of the “40 Under 40 Leaders in Health” by the National Minority Quality Forum. She was also nominated and selected to be a part of the first cohort of Forward 48 in the winter of 2020.

Her advice to other Latine alumni “is never forget where you came from, and know that where you came from does not completely define you. We can be proud of our roots and proud of who we become as an individual. I also encourage you to bring your people with you. Attending UW-Madison means you are a smart, hard-working person, and you will one day have the opportunity to lift up other smart, hard-working people. Don't lose sight of the people who have helped you in your life because you can be that person for someone else.”

Caroline won her first political election on May 2 when she won the special election for District 14 Milwaukee County Board Supervisor. She decided to run because, as the daughter of working class, immigrant parents, she saw how hard they had to work to provide the life she has. Despite their hard work, Caroline saw her parents still come up short since the systems in place were not built for her family. Caroline said, “I have spent my life paying my parents back by dedicating my life to service and striving to be a bridge between the community and the policies that impact our day-to-day lives.” Her public health and social work background have helped her understand how important it is for everyone - regardless of race, socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, or immigration status - to feel safe and respected where they live, work, and play. In her free time, Caroline enjoys gardening, cooking, and singing as a member of the Milwaukee Choristers. For more information about Caroline, visit carolinecaresmke.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.