Milwaukee County Transit System Deputy Director Julie Esch Named Interim Managing Director
Julie Esch. Photo courtesy of Milwaukee County.
Milwaukee — Today, the Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) announced the appointment of Vice President and Deputy Director Julie Esch as interim managing director of Milwaukee Transport Services, Inc., which operates MCTS. Former MCTS President and Managing Director Denise Wandke retired January 1, 2025.
Esch joined MCTS in September 2023 after serving in several leadership positions with Milwaukee County and the State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Previously, she was deputy director of the Milwaukee County Department of Transportation since 2018. Prior to that, Esch was deputy director of the Milwaukee County Department of Administrative Services.As interim managing director, Esch will oversee the strategic planning process underway at MCTS. She will collaborate with the Milwaukee County Executive, the County Board of Supervisors, the County Department of Transportation, and other local and state elected officials, to ensure Milwaukee County maintains a strong public transit system.
MCTS is currently engaged in a nationwide search for a permanent managing director to continue the transit system’s work toward enhancing the quality of life in Milwaukee County through great public service. All open MCTS positions are available on the MCTS website.
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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I sincerely hope the county is being honest about a national search. MCTS is in desparate need of competent leadership and public transit expertise. The recently “retired” GM was a political hire, and Julie Esch is a retired county bureaucrat, collecting a pension, and enjoying a second career. MCTS needs to take a field trip to Madison.