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The story of Peggy Troy’s career is, in many ways, a homecoming that culminated in a 15-year tenure as the first female president and CEO of Children’s Wisconsin.
A graduate of Marquette University’s nursing school, Troy entered the workforce as a staff nurse at Children’s Wisconsin in 1975, and then moved to Chicago to pursue her master’s degree. She later worked in senior-level administrative positions in both Texas and Tennessee, and was recruited to join Children’s Wisconsin in 2009. “I never thought I’d get the job,” Troy admits.
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But she did, and what followed was a series of achievements, from reconnecting with parents and donors to reinventing the Children’s Wisconsin culture. Regional development came next, increasing families’ access to quality healthcare throughout the state. Troy notes that a $20 million gift from the Yabuki Family Foundation was especially transformative, allowing the organization to expand its mental health services and develop a walk-in clinic. “No parent should ever have to have a child who takes their own life,” she says, “and no child should ever have to be so desperate [as to do so].” As a mother and grandmother, Troy understands those stakes at a personal level.
Her tenure involved a wide range of civic, corporate and healthcare board involvement, too, including serving as a board member for the Medical College of Wisconsin, Teach for America and Marquette University, among others.
Today, Troy is enjoying retirement in Utah, where her two grandchildren live. She remains active in the industry, though, and just last year joined the Child Health Advisory Council, which provides guidance to children’s hospitals. The advisership is particularly meaningful, Troy says, because one of her daughters is a pediatric intensive care physician and medical director. “My driving force was always: If it wasn’t good enough for my own kids, it just wasn’t good enough,” she adds. “I [continue to] show up because every kid deserves the best.”
