Joel Brennan was selected as the Secretary of the Department of Administration by Governor Tony Evers and began his role on January 7th, 2019. Secretary Brennan brings 25 years of experience in and around public policy in Wisconsin to this role.

Joel Brennan served as President & CEO of Discovery World from October 2007 through January 2019. Located on Milwaukee’s lakefront, Discovery World is Wisconsin’s premier science and technology center, providing interactive exhibits and science-based educational programs which were enjoyed by more than 325,000 families and students from throughout the area in 2018.

Under Brennan’s leadership, Discovery World turned multi-million dollar operating deficits into surpluses and eliminated millions in capital debt. In 2018, Discovery World completed a $13 million update that added more than 20,000 sq. ft. of new interactive space to the facility. During this time, Discovery World forged many strategic community partnerships and expanded its innovative educational programs to neighborhoods of need, including a Summer Camp program that brings more than 1,700 students to the lakefront for week-long camps in engineering, robotics, design, freshwater science and other disciplines.

Joel Brennan grew up in the Milwaukee area and worked his way through Marquette University, graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in English. He was selected as a Harris Fellow at the University of Chicago and earned a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Brennan lives with his family in Milwaukee.