Mary Madden
Executive Director, National Alliance for Mental Illness, Southeast Wisconsin

Mary began her career in mental health services 40 years ago, providing community-based services for adults diagnosed with mental health conditions. Throughout her career, she has led teams responsible for planning and implementing licensed and non-licensed community-based recovery services. Mary began her tenure as Executive Director at The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Waukesha County in 2008 to spend more time working directly with individuals and families affected by mental health conditions, providing education, support, and advocacy and sharing the hope of recovery.

During her tenure, she has expanded the organization's mission impact through crisis training, youth outreach and education, homeless outreach and services, and suicide awareness and prevention. In 2020, Mary successfully led NAMI Waukesha and NAMI Greater Milwaukee through a merger, creating NAMI Southeast Wisconsin, providing services in Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Jefferson Counties. Mary holds a bachelor’s in psychology from Alverno College and has personal lived experience with family members who live with mental health and substance use conditions.

Wellness Wisdom: Holistic wellness includes: physical, nutritional, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, financial, and environmental. Nurturing each of these dimensions can positively impact our health and fosters balance, resilience, and a more fulfilling life.