Attorney General
Josh Kaul
Josh Kaul was sworn in as Wisconsin’s 45th Attorney General on January 7, 2019. Josh’s top priority is public safety. Under his leadership, the Wisconsin Department of Justice has worked to combat the opioid epidemic and the increasing use of meth in Wisconsin, to make our schools and communities safer from gun violence, and to pass legislation designed to prevent Wisconsin from having another backlog of untested sexual assault kits. Josh is also committed to fighting for clean and safe drinking water and against climate change and to protecting the rights of Wisconsinites.
Josh served as a federal prosecutor in Baltimore, where he prosecuted murderers, gang members, and drug traffickers. After moving back home to Wisconsin, he worked to protect our right to vote, going to court to challenge restrictions on voting.
Josh grew up in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac. He went to college at Yale, majoring in history and economics and graduating with honors. He then attended Stanford Law School, where he served as President of the Stanford Law Review.
Josh lives in Madison with his wife, Lindsey, and their two sons, Simon and Henry.
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Deputy Attorney General
Eric Wilson
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Eric Wilson to serve as Deputy Attorney General in January of 2019.
Eric previously worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago and an Assistant Attorney General at the Wisconsin Department of Justice. He re-joined the Wisconsin Department of Justice after working for more than a decade in private practice in Madison.
Eric went to college at the University of Illinois, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and graduating with high honors. He then attended Harvard Law School, where he graduated cum laude. Eric also received a master’s degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Chief of Staff
Ashley Viste
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Ashley Viste to serve as Chief of Staff in January of 2019.
Prior to her work as campaign manager on Attorney General Kaul’s successful campaign, Ashley Viste worked on campaigns for United States Senator Tammy Baldwin, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Evers, and State Senator Dave Hansen.
Ashley graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and a certificate in environmental studies.
Senior Counsel
Nate Zolik
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Nate Zolik to serve as Senior Counsel in January of 2019.
Nate previously worked as an attorney on regulatory and administrative law matters at a private law firm in Madison. He also has served as chief of staff and senior adviser at the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin, chief legal counsel to then-Governor Jim Doyle, and worked in private practice in New York City.
Nate graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School, cum laude, and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Dayton.
Government Affairs Director
Chris McKinny
Attorney General Joshua Kaul appointed Chris McKinny to serve as the Government Affairs Director in January of 2019.
Chris previously worked as a policy advisor to legislative leadership in the Wisconsin State Assembly. Most recently, he served as Legislative Director for Minority Leader Gordon Hintz. Prior to working in the legislature, he worked as a staff attorney for Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc. and as a policy analyst for Wisconsin’s Medicaid program.
Chris went to college at Gonzaga University, double-majoring in political science and history. He then graduated from Marquette University Law School.
Director, Equity, Inclusion, & Wellness Program
Angela Nash
Angela has served as the Equity, Inclusion, & Wellness Program Director since December of 2021.
Angela Nash previously worked at the Wisconsin Department of Administration as an Equity and Inclusion Compliance Consultant where she provided all state agencies with guidance and support to apply principles of equity while creating inclusive workspaces. Prior to joining state service, Angela gained over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector holding leadership roles in the field of human resources. Angela received a B.S. in Business Administration with a Human Resources Certification.
Communications Director
Riley Vetterkind
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Riley Vetterkind to serve as the Communications Director in February of 2025.
- Previously Riley served as the public information officer for the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC). Before working at the WEC, he was a reporter for various publications, most recently the Wisconsin State Journal. Vetterkind earned his B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Executive Director, Office of Crime Victim Services
Shira Phelps
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Shira Phelps to serve as the Executive Director for the Office of Crime Victim Services in March of 2023.
Shira has spent over 20 years working on victim service issues in numerous different organizations, including several years as a former employee of OCVS. Phelps left OCVS in 2021 to work at a center focused on addressing human trafficking in Native and Tribal communities across the country.
Shira graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from The New School for Social Research – Eugene Lang College, NYC, in 2001 and a JD from UW Law School in 2007.
Director, Office of School Safety
Trish Kilpin
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Trish Kilpin to serve as the Director of the Office of School Safety in February of 2022.
Prior to serving in this position, she was a school social worker for over 30 years. She was named the Wisconsin School Social Worker's Association's School Social Worker of the Year in 1997, and Wisconsin State Teacher of the Year in 2021. She is a certified PREPARE and Sources of Strength Trainer.
Trish earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Masters of Science in Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Director, Office of Open Government
Paul Ferguson
Paul M. Ferguson is an assistant attorney general who has led the Office of Open Government at the Wisconsin Department of Justice since its inception in 2015.
Paul is the attorney general’s designee on the Wisconsin Public Records Board (PRB) where he serves as chair. He also serves as chair of the PRB’s Records Management Committee and as chair of the PRB’s Policy and Governance Committee. Prior to coming to DOJ, Paul worked primarily in private practice in Pennsylvania for eight years.
Paul earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication from Seton Hall University and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Administrator, Division of Criminal Investigation
Jake Jansky
Jake Jansky has served as the Administrator for the Division of Criminal Investigation since March of 2025.
Jake Jansky started his law enforcement career in 1999 at the La Crosse Police Department, serving in various roles before joining DCI in 2013. Jake's first role in DCI was as a Special Agent in the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit, before moving into the Child Sex Trafficking Unit, which later became the Human Trafficking Bureau. In 2016, Jake became a DCI Special Agent in Charge with the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), located in Milwaukee, overseeing a multi-agency opioid task force. In 2022, Jake moved over to the DCI Milwaukee Field Office, where he supervised investigations and operations for that office. The following year, Jake became a Director with DCI and oversaw the ICAC and Human Trafficking Bureau, the Milwaukee and Appleton Field Offices, the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group Unit, and the Native American Drug and Gang Initiative (NADGI). He also serves on the Wisconsin Crime Victims Council.
Administrator, Division of Law Enforcement Services
Steve Wagner
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Steve Wagner to serve as the Administrator for the Division of Law Enforcement Services on May 13, 2022.
Steve has been with the Wisconsin Department of Justice since April of 2020 when he was selected to serve as the Director of the Training and Standards Bureau. Prior to his positions at the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Steve served the City of Racine Police Department for 29 years. He retired as the Commander of the Training Unit.
Steve received his Bachelor of Arts and Sciences degree from Marquette University in criminology/law studies and philosophy and a Master of Business Administration from Concordia University. Steve is also a Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command graduate.
Administrator, Division of Forensic Science
Nicole Roehm
Nicole Roehm has served as the Administrator for the Division of Forensic Sciences since 2019.
Nicole started her career at the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratory in 2007 as a DNA Analyst. Nicole currently serves as a technical assessor for ANSI National Accreditation Board. She also is a member of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors and the Midwestern Association of Forensic Scientists.
Nicole has a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with an emphasis in biomedical science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She also received a Master’s degree in Pharmacy and a certificate in Forensic Serology and DNA Analysis from the University of Florida.
Administrator, Division of Legal Services
Lara Sutherlin
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Lara Sutherlin to serve as the Administrator for the Division of Legal Services in January of 2023.
Lara has over 20 years of legal experience, 13 of which as an Assistant Attorney General with the Department of Justice in the area of consumer protection. In 2019, Lara was appointed by Governor Evers to be the Administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, where she served until 2022.
Lara graduated from Northeastern University School of Law in 1999.
Administrator, Division of Management Services
Tricia Collins
Attorney General Josh Kaul appointed Tricia Collins to serve as Division of Management Services Administrator in February 2025.
Tricia joined the Wisconsin Department of Justice following service as the Administrator for the Division of Finance and Management at the Department of Public Instruction (DPI). From 2019 to 2021, Tricia served as Director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Before that, from 2013 until 2019, she was the Director of the School Management Services team at DPI. She began her career in state service working at the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Tricia is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.