Wisconsin Partnership Program welcomes two new program officers

Program officers play a pivotal role in advancing the Wisconsin Partnership Program’s mission and strategic priorities by developing and implementing grant programs across the organization’s portfolio of community partnerships, education, and research initiatives. They also serve as the primary contacts for applicants and grantees.

Meet the new program officers

Aimee Haese

Prior to joining the Wisconsin Partnership Program, Haese worked as a Research Program Associate on the NIH-funded Somatic Cell Genome Editing consortium based out of the Medical College of Wisconsin. In this role, she managed study logistics, coordinated meetings among consortium members, and communicated scientific information to a lay audience through social media.

From her past experiences, Haese brings an understanding of grant-funded research and a passion for improving health in Wisconsin. Haese sought a program officer role with the Wisconsin Partnership Program, where she can support diverse grants including community-led public health initiatives and medical research that aims to advance population health in the state.

“I am excited to be part of a well-established and growing program that funds a variety of grants that all share a common goal of advancing health in our state,” Haese said.

As a program officer, Haese looks forward to connecting with grantees and learning more about the work being done to improve health in Wisconsin.

“I can read about what an organization wants to do in a grant application but seeing how they’re able to make progress toward these goals is where the growth and excitement comes from,” Haese said.

She feels these opportunities to immerse herself in the grant will allow her to better understand and support the projects.

Haese earned her master of public health degree from UW–Milwaukee with a concentration in public health policy and administration and holds a bachelor of science in human niology from UW–Green Bay.

Kattia Jimenez

Prior to joining the Wisconsin Partnership Program, Jimenez served as a Project Manager with the All of Us Research Program, an NIH-funded precision medicine program at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. In this role, she led the engagement efforts for the All of Us team.

Previously, Jimenez worked with the Center for Disease Control’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, where she traveled to survey communities as part of a large public health initiative. In 2018, after 14 years of full-time travel, Jimenez transitioned to her role with All of Us.

Additionally, Jimenez is the founder and owner of Mount Horeb Hemp, LLC, a USDA certified organic hemp farm. She was recently recognized for this work as a recipient of the 2022 Amy Award, which honors women entrepreneurs in memory of Amy Gannon, and as Emprendedora del Año (Entrepreneur of the Year) by the Wisconsin Latino Chamber of Commerce.

Jimenez’ work with the CDC and All of Us was focused on forming relationships with people and organizations, and she looks to bring her strengths in relationship and trust building to the Wisconsin Partnership Program.

“When you do work in community spaces,” Jimenez explained, “I think it is important to start and end with community; to center the work around them.”

In her role as program officer, Jimenez hopes to act as an ambassador of the university to take the work and research out into the community and help make resources accessible to the state of Wisconsin.

With the Wisconsin Partnership Program, Jimenez looks forward to engaging applicants and grantees and expanding both faculty and community awareness of organization’s research, education, and community grant programs.

“I hope to identify organizations and projects that could benefit from our funding that may not know about it,” she said.

Additionally, Jimenez is interested in the opportunity to support grantees and guide them through some of the administrative policies associated with grantmaking.

Jimenez earned her bachelor of arts in society and justice from the University of Washington.

“We are delighted to welcome Aimee and Kattia to the Wisconsin Partnership Program team,” said Amy Kind, MD, PhD, associate dean for social health sciences and programs at the School of Medicine and Public Health and executive director of the Wisconsin Partnership Program. “They each bring a unique set of experiences, expertise, and enthusiasm that will greatly enhance WPP’s work and engagement with applicants, grantees, and communities across the state.”