West Bend, WI – The Wisconsin Child Support Enforcement Association (WCSEA) named the Washington County Child Support Agency the Agency of the Year for the first time in the history of the Child Support Agency! WCSEA is the statewide association that works to foster the exchange of ideas and suggest methods for improvement of the state’s child support program. The award was presented at the WCSEA’s recent statewide Fall Conference.
Under the direction of County Attorney Brad Stern and agency Director Brenda Gonzalez with their team of professionals, the county agency was recognized in part for its innovation in finding ways to continue to meet performance goals by implementing a texting program to reach case participants to advise them of their case status, and resolving cases by way of stipulations to eliminate the need for some court hearings.
“This is a well-deserved award, and I am happy to congratulate the Child Support Agency team on this achievement,” said County Executive Josh Schoemann. “This award recognizes outstanding performances and is considered the benchmark of excellence in the profession. We are fortunate to have this caliber of professionals in Washington County. Their contributions benefit children and families in our community.”
Also receiving special recognition from WCSEA was former Deputy County Attorney Kim Lechner, who retired in 2020 after 20 years of service to the county and was inducted into the WCSEA Hall of Fame. Director Brenda Gonzalez was selected to serve on the WCSEA Board of Directors in 2024.