Legislative Affairs Consultant

Michelle Gentry-Wiseman has been working with the Illinois Radiological Society as a legislative consultant for the last several years. She started her government relations consulting business, MGW Associates, in 2004 after more than 13 years working in state government and in a position in a healthcare foundation.

Michelle worked after college graduation on one of the partisan staffs in the House as a substantive and appropriations analyst. In this position she staffed the House Human Services Committee and the House Human Services Appropriations Committee. The areas she was assigned to included aging, public health, alcohol and substance abuse, the Medical Center Commission, and other health related state agencies and programs.

After that, Michelle went to the Illinois Department of Public Health where she began her career there as an assistant legislative liaison. She became the Chief of the Division of Governmental Affairs, overseeing the state and federal legislative program, as well as Boards and Commissions and administrative rulemaking functions of the Department.

In 1996, Michelle moved to become the Chief of the Division of Healthcare Facilities and Programs. In that capacity, Michelle oversaw the administration of the state and federal regulatory programs for hospitals, surgery centers, hospices, clinical laboratories and home health agencies.

In 1999, she became the Department of Public Health’s first Chief of Staff and was then appointed Assistant Director of the Department by the Governor in 2001. Additionally, she served as the Deputy Director in establishing the Department’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Emergency Medical Services and administering federal preparedness grants.

Michelle has a Bachelor’s Degree in Legal Studies and a Master’s Degree in Political Studies. She is married to Scott Wiseman and lives in Chatham with him and their two children, Kate, 15 years old and Meg, 11 years old.