By Dan Tortorice
Friends of Lake View Hill Park
There is no way of knowing just how many lives were touched by Lynn Green in her 46-year career at the Dane County Department of Human Services (DCDHS), but we do know about 65,000 of the county’s 500,000 residents got help from DCDHS to deal with major life issues last year. That’s more than 10 percent of our population. The range of these consumers, as Green would call them, ranges from older adults with physical or memory problems to the youngest and most vulnerable children who need a chance to reach a productive maturity.
Green has announced she will retire soon after 46 years with DCDHS. She began as a social worker in public health and has served as director for the last 16 years. Her public health career began in the former nurses’ dorm on the Lake View Hill property. During her tenure as director, she oversaw the creation of important programs such as Children Come First, Joining Forces for Families and Early Childhood Initiative programs.
She told the Capital Times, “It’s a perfect time for somebody to come in, get a chance to get their feet wet and steer the department into the future.”
One of her motivating ideas is stated on the department website, “We are helping ourselves by helping each other. We want to build a constant foundation for growth and future development.” (danecountyhumanservices.org)
Green has inspired devotion and admiration from her staff because of her tireless efforts on behalf of their agency. One of them referred to her as “the epitome of a dedicated public servant. She buffers her staff, who are doing work in incredibly challenging circumstances.”
Her reputation for hard work is legendary. Anyone who has ever constructed a budget would be amazed at her ability to create 17 budgets for her department with the goal of returning any unused portions back to the general fund. The DCDHS budget makes up about half of the entire spending of Dane County. “We look for ways to maximize our resources to serve the needs of our consumers by being as efficient as possible,” she said.
Green has been a longtime partner with Dane County Parks and the Friends of Lake View Hill Park, sharing the unique historic Lake View property for past and current county health services. She has supported the Friends group by welcoming them to use the building for evening and weekend meetings. Often she is the one there to open the doors for Saturday meetings.
Her efforts played a significant role in the development of Lake View Hill Park and the Northside. She worked with county staff and the Friends of Lake View Hill Park to renovate the historical fountain atop Lake View Hill. She was involved in the demolition and creation of the memorial segment of the Dormitory for Help. She continues to support the efforts of the Friends group and has even joined the noontime walking tours for the staff.
DCDHS also has a big presence as an employer on the Northside. The administrative office, on Northport Drive at the top of Lake View Hill, employs about 150 staff. The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) is in the Northside TownCenter and employs 45 staff. The Dane County Job Center on Aberg Avenue, opened in 1994 in the NorthGate Shopping Center, now houses over 250 staff from multiple agencies. We can all take pride in having these dedicated public servants working on the Northside and frequenting Northside businesses during their workday.
A recurring theme one hears from people talking about Green is her modest and behind-the-scenes approach to her work, but she is less modest about touting the efforts and success of her staff. In a statement on the DCDHS website, Green says, “As a result of the efforts of our staff and our purchase services community, many of the department’s programs are the best in the state, the nation and even the world.”
She can take pride in those accomplishments in whatever retirement holds for her. Dane County residents, Lake View Hill Park and the Northside have all benefited greatly from her friendship, support and dedication to service.