The Wisconsin Club in downtown Milwaukee has elected Kathie Eilers as its next board president. Starting Nov. 1, Eilers will be the 80th president in the club’s 134-year history and first female to hold the title, according to a press release Tuesday.

A longtime civic and organizational leader in the Milwaukee community, Eilers served most notably as president and CEO of Saint John’s on the Lake from 2003 to 2011 and as administrator of the Milwaukee County Behavioral Health Division from 1993 to 2003.

Eilers’ most recent role on the Wisconsin Club board was vice president and president elect. She also previously served as the club’s interim general manager. Eilers will take over the board’s top seat from Steve Kohlmann, executive director of the Independent Business Association of Wisconsin.

Founded in 1891, the Wisconsin Club is a historic private city club located in Milwaukee’s former Mitchell Mansion at 900 W. Wisconsin Ave. in the Westown neighborhood.

Under Eilers’ leadership, the club said it plans to expand membership across generations while keeping longtime members engaged; reinvest in growth by upgrading technology, facilities and member services; protect history and plan for the future with a Preservation Fund for the club’s historic Mitchell Mansion and updated programs that reflect modern lifestyles, according to the release.

The club is seeking support from members as well as local foundations and philanthropists for its soon-to-launch Preservation Fund.

“This moment is about more than one person,” said Eilers. “It reflects our progress as a club and our commitment to lasting opportunities for women in leadership, while ensuring the club remains vibrant and relevant for generations to come.”

Eilers will work alongside general manager Omar Naimi, who has worked since he was hired in August 2023 to modernize operations and position the club for sustainable growth.

Following financial difficulties worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Club in spring 2023 sold its country club and golf course property on Milwaukee’s north side to a Florida-based company for roughly $6.3 million. The sale helped the city club pay off $3 million of debt.

“The Wisconsin Club enters this new chapter from a position of strength,” said Naimi. “Supported by financial stability, debt-free operations, and healthy reserves, Kathie’s leadership ensures we can continue reinvesting in technology, facilities and member programming, while maintaining the service and excellence that define the Wisconsin Club.”

During her 20 years with the county’s Behavioral Health Division, which included a decade as associate administrator of programs at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex from 1983 to 1993, Eilers, a nurse by trade, advocated for downsizing the complex and shifted away from its longstanding institutional model of care.

It wasn’t until 2010 that the county began formal efforts to restructure its mental health delivery system and adopt a more modern, community-based approach. Eliers returned to the county in 2013 as a contracted consultant to assist with the transition, including phasing out long-term care at the complex. The facility permanently closed in 2022.

Eliers has also served on the Dean’s Advisory Board for UW-Milwaukee’s College of Health Sciences as well as on the boards of other professional and civic organizations such as TEMPO Milwaukee, Rotary Club of Milwaukee and Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force.