Board of Health (BOH)

In 2019, the City of Milwaukee reestablished it's Board of Health. The nine member governing board is responsible for advising the department on priorities, taking public stances on public health policy issues, and being champions for public health in Milwaukee. 

Interested in joining the City of Milwaukee Board of Health?

A member of the Board of Health helps to form a nine person board that helps the Milwaukee Health Department achieve its goals laid out in the strategic plan in conjunction with duties required by law of a Level III Health Department. The BOH meets every other month, in-person. The board must have at least one Doctor of Medicine (MD) and one nurse, in addition to community members that reside in the city of Milwaukee. Interested parties should have basic public health knowledge and a passion for improving the public health delivery system.

Submit an Application to Join the BOH

Board of Health Leadership

Caroline Gomez-Tom, Board President
Enrollment Network and Accessibility Manager at Covering Wisconsin, Gomez-Tom’s work focuses on benefit enrollment and health care access and was a critical part of Milwaukee winning the 2015 Healthy Cities Challenge by enrolling over 38,000 individuals in health coverage. Email | LinkedIn

Ruthie Burich-Weatherly, Board Vice-President
Ruthie Burich-Weatherly is the BESTD Clinic Manager and a Public Health Consultant and in Milwaukee, WI. As the founder of LetsPrEPWI, a social media tool for PrEP advocacy and awareness and Riverside Consulting LLC, Ruthie focuses on HIV/STD Prevention and referral. She started her career as a member of the Peace Corps and since then has worked for a variety of HIV/AIDS centered organizations such as Minnesota AIDS Project, AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin (Vivent), and the Milwaukee Health Department. Email | LinkedIn

Board of Health Members

Bria Grant

Executive Director of UniteMKE, a non-profit that trains and supports Community Health Workers and connects community health programs with data and evaluation opportunities. Email | LinkedIn

Julia Means, RN

Parish & Community Health Nurse for Ascension Health-St. Mary’s. Means created the Blanket of Love program for new and expectant mothers, offering pre- and post-natal support and education for new mothers and their families. Email 

Ian B. K. Martin,  M.D., M.B.A., FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ian Martin is System Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. At the Medical School, he holds appointments as Professor with Tenure of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine. Dr. Martin is also Emergency Physician-in-Chief of the Froedtert (FRAYD-tert) and Medical College of Wisconsin Health System. Before this, he served as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown.

Dr. Martin earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Duke University. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine degree from Medical College of Pennsylvania–Hahnemann School of Medicine (now Drexel University College of Medicine) and his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. Dr. Martin trained in Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical Center and R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore—where he also served as Chief Resident.

Dr. Martin has devoted his academic career to improving the delivery of emergency care globally—with emphasis on East Africa—through program development, investigative research, and direct clinical care.

Dr. Martin’s research interests include elucidation of optimal models for Emergency Department-based HIV and hepatitis C testing and acute care disease burden epidemiology in developing countries. His research and other Global Health-related initiatives have culminated in a host of publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Martin has garnered grant support for his research from federal and state agencies, industry, and academic institutions.

Recognized for his leadership, Dr. Martin completed a term as President of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM)—the premier association representing researchers and educators in Emergency Medicine. Before that, he completed a one-year term each as President-Elect and Secretary-Treasurer of the Society. Dr. Martin is also the founder and a Past-President of SAEM’s Global Emergency Medicine Academy. In 2020, Dr. Martin was appointed by the Mayor of Milwaukee to the City of Milwaukee Board of Health for an indefinite term. He is the 2018 recipient of the Marcus L. Martin, M.D. Leadership Award—a prestigious award given by SAEM’s Academy of Diversity and Inclusion in Emergency Medicine. Dr. Martin was recently named recipient of the 2020 Drexel University College of Medicine Distinguished Alumnus Award as well as of the 2020 Georges Benjamin, M.D. Award for excellence in education, service, and research by the National Medical Association’s Emergency Medicine Section.

Dr. Martin is a fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians and the American Academy of Emergency Medicine.

Ericka Sinclair
Founder and CEO of Health Connections Inc. Ericka’s nearly 20 years in public health includes laboratory research; training patients and providers to navigate healthcare systems; managing clinical care - especially primary care for vulnerable populations including transgender clients - as well as disease prevention and interventions. Email | LinkedIn

Alderwoman JoCasta Camarripa, 8th District

JoCasta Zamarripa was born and raised in Milwaukee, graduated from St. Joan Antida High School, and holds a bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee. Throughout her career, JoCasta has been a dedicated community activist working to better the lives of others by creating positive change. She previously worked as a Community Outreach Coordinator for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and was active in the 9 to 5 National Association of Working Women. She has also held board positions with 9 to 5 Milwaukee and Equality Wisconsin, and currently serves on the boards of Citizen Action of Wisconsin and Emerge Wisconsin.

JoCasta’s public service career began in 2010 when she made history by becoming the first Latina elected to the Wisconsin State Legislature. She served in the Legislature for five terms before making history once again in 2020 by becoming the first Latina and the first openly LGBTQ member of Milwaukee’s Common Council.

Wujie Zhang, PhD

Associate Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Professor Zhang’s research work includes drug delivery and nanotechnology applications for cancer treatment. He is an advocate for health equity for LGBTQ individuals and other marginalized populations. Email | LinkedIn