Deirdre Wilson Garton

While raising four children, Deirdre Wilson Garton attended law school and practiced law in Madison, WI, her home for the last 38 years. As a family law attorney, prosecutor and consultant to law enforcement agencies, Deirdre saw firsthand the impact of poverty on the lives of children and their families. She came to understand that providing services to those families to meet their potential was the most cost efficient and safest approach to community development. Deirdre has chaired the Board of the Dane County Mental Health Center, participated on the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice, served on the Executive Board of the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, and chaired the Wisconsin Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission for eight years. She has also worked on court improvement projects via positions in state government, and her own company. In addition, Deirdre has worked on behalf of the Ten Chimneys Foundation, founded by her late husband, Joe Garton; chaired the Board of the Kanopy Dance Theater in Madison; and chaired the board of the Overture Center Foundation, which manages a six-venue performing arts center in Madison, WI.