Kathy’s House Welcomes Derek Goodman as President & CEO

Derek Goodman. Photo courtesy of Kathy’s House.

Milwaukee, Wis. (August 5, 2026) – The Kathy’s House board of directors is pleased to announce that Derek Goodman has joined the Milwaukee nonprofit as its new President & CEO. Goodman is an accomplished executive with nearly 25 years of experience working for mission-driven organizations. As President & CEO, he will collaborate with the seven-person staff, board of directors and many volunteers to advance Kathy’s House’s mission of providing affordable lodging and caring support for patients and caregivers who must travel to Milwaukee for medical care.

“Throughout the interview process, Derek consistently displayed an authentic leadership style, strategic thinking, financial acumen and the ability to build trusting relationships,” said Board Chair Dionna Gavin. “Those skills, paired with his data-driven decision-making, position him well to lead Kathy’s House into its next chapter.”

Goodman succeeds Patty Metropulos, who returned to Kathy’s House as Interim President & CEO in March. Metropulos previously led the organization from 2012 to 2024 and helped guide Kathy’s House through this period of leadership transition.

Goodman joins Kathy’s House at a time when demand for hospital guest housing is growing, as treatment for cancer and other serious diagnoses is increasingly provided on an outpatient basis.

“I am honored to join Kathy’s House at such an important moment in its history,” Goodman said. “I look forward to listening and learning from the staff, board, volunteers, guests and community partners as we build on the organization’s strong foundation and prepare to meet the growing need for hospital guest housing.”

Goodman’s most recent role was as President & CEO of St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, where he led the transition of the organization following the retirement of its founder. Prior to St. Ann Center, Goodman spent more than a decade with the MyPath family of companies, serving in multiple executive leadership roles.

About Kathy’s House:
Founded in 2001, Kathy’s House is a nonprofit hospital guest house that provides affordable lodging and caring support to patients and caregivers traveling to Milwaukee for critical medical care. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, Kathy’s House is the only hospital guest house in southeastern Wisconsin serving guests of all ages and accepting referrals from all area hospitals. Each year, approximately 1,500 guests stay at Kathy’s House, where they find not only a place to stay, but a caring community during one of the most difficult times in their lives. Kathy’s House operates on a sliding fee scale so that no family is turned away because of an inability to pay. To learn more, visit www.kathys-house.org.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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