After spending more than a decade bringing health, peace and well-being  to Native Americans and others throughout the Greater Milwaukee Area, Dr. Lyle Ignace, chief executive officer of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, is stepping down from his position. 

The announcement was made Wednesday by Steven Ninham, chair of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Board of Directors, leaving Ignace to give remarks to staff members as he prepares to relocate to Colorado with his family. 

“I want to express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of serving alongside each of you at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center,” Ignace said in a press release. “Leading this remarkable organization has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”

The organization expanded under his leadership, adding services and moving in 2016 into a refurbished 40,000 square foot building that once housed Goldmann’s Department Store.

A family commitment to Native health

The federally qualified health center located at 930 W. Historic Mitchell St. on the South Side, was named in honor of Ignace’s father, Dr. Gerald L. Ignace. He and his wife Georgianna Ignace, helped lay the foundation for the organization their son would eventually lead. 

Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center was established in 1999 as a nonprofit to support 11 surrounding Wisconsin tribes in gaining access to healthcare, spiritual, cultural and other services while keeping traditional Native values.

Lyle Ignace, a board-certified internist, is a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Coeur d’Alene Tribe. He assumed leadership of the health center in 2013 and hopes that it will continue to uphold its mission of serving the underserved community.

“May you continue to lead with courage, serve with compassion, embrace innovation, uphold integrity, remain loyal to our mission, show respect in every interaction, and find strength through the spirituality that has long been a source of healing and resilience for the Native American community,” Ignace said. 

The Board of Directors announced that Chief Operations Officer Kaye Marty will serve as interim CEO as the search for a permanent replacement continues.

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Dr. Lyle Ignace steps down as leader of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center

by Chesnie Wardell, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service
August 20, 2026

<h1>Dr. Lyle Ignace steps down as leader of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center</h1> <p class="byline">by Chesnie Wardell, Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service <br />August 20, 2026</p> <p>After spending more than a decade bringing <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2014/01/30/managing-diabetes-requires-taking-control-of-lifestyle-choices-speaker-says/">health</a>, <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/06/28/indian-health-centers-grief-vigil-offers-space-for-remembrance/">peace</a> and <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/07/09/more-than-a-building-milwaukee-intertribal-circle-has-a-new-home/">well-being</a> &nbsp;to Native Americans and others throughout the Greater Milwaukee Area, Dr. Lyle Ignace, chief executive officer of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, is stepping down from his position.&nbsp;</p> <p>The announcement was made Wednesday by Steven Ninham, chair of the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center Board of Directors, leaving Ignace to give remarks to staff members as he prepares to relocate to Colorado with his family.&nbsp;</p> <p>“I want to express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of serving alongside each of you at the Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center,” Ignace said in a press release. “Leading this remarkable organization has been one of the greatest honors of my life.”</p> <p>The organization expanded under his leadership, adding services and <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2016/01/27/health-center-moves-into-larger-more-efficient-space-in-old-goldmanns-store/">moving in 2016 into a refurbished 40,000 square foot building</a> that once housed Goldmann’s Department Store.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/24268381819_e7aca1c5bb_k.jpg?fit=2048%2C1536&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-174433" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Dr. Lyle Ignace, who stepped down as CEO of Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, stands in the organization’s new fitness center in 2016. (NNS file photo)</figcaption></figure> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>A family commitment to Native health</strong></h2> <p>The federally qualified health center located at 930 W. Historic Mitchell St. on the South Side, was named in honor of Ignace’s father, Dr. Gerald L. Ignace. He and his wife Georgianna Ignace, helped lay the foundation for the organization their son would eventually lead. </p> <p>Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center was established in 1999 as a nonprofit to support 11 surrounding Wisconsin tribes in gaining access to <a href="https://milwaukeenns.org/2024/07/01/how-milwaukees-native-community-is-fighting-a-surge-in-opioid-deaths/">healthcare</a>, spiritual, cultural and other services while keeping traditional Native values.</p> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/13547874084_75f502392f_k.jpg?fit=2048%2C1150&amp;ssl=1" alt="" class="wp-image-174435" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A patient visits Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center, 930 W. Historic Mitchell St., to utilize its healthcare services. (NNS file photo)</figcaption></figure> <p>Lyle Ignace, a board-certified internist, is a member of the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and Coeur d’Alene Tribe.&nbsp;He assumed leadership of the health center in 2013 and hopes that it will continue to uphold its mission of serving the underserved community.</p> <p>“May you continue to lead with courage, serve with compassion, embrace innovation, uphold integrity, remain loyal to our mission, show respect in every interaction, and find strength through the spirituality that has long been a source of healing and resilience for the Native American community,” Ignace said.&nbsp;</p> <p>The Board of Directors announced that Chief Operations Officer Kaye Marty will serve as interim CEO as the search for a permanent replacement continues.</p> <p>This &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/08/20/dr-lyle-ignace-steps-down-as-leader-of-the-gerald-l-ignace-indian-health-center/&quot;&gt;article&lt;/a&gt; first appeared on &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org&quot;&gt;Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service&lt;/a&gt; and is republished here under a &lt;a target=&quot;_blank&quot; href=&quot;https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/&quot;&gt;Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;img src=&quot;https://i0.wp.com/milwaukeenns.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/cropped-NNS-Favicon.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;amp;ssl=1&quot; style=&quot;width:1em;height:1em;margin-left:10px;&quot;&gt;</p> &lt;img id=&quot;republication-tracker-tool-source&quot; src=&quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/?republication-pixel=true&amp;post=174432&amp;amp;ga4=G-HGM4XK3QCM&quot; style=&quot;width:1px;height:1px;&quot;&gt;&lt;script&gt; PARSELY = { autotrack: false, onload: function() { PARSELY.beacon.trackPageView({ url: &quot;https://milwaukeenns.org/2026/08/20/dr-lyle-ignace-steps-down-as-leader-of-the-gerald-l-ignace-indian-health-center/&quot;, urlref: window.location.href }); } } &lt;/script&gt; &lt;script id=&quot;parsely-cfg&quot; src=&quot;//cdn.parsely.com/keys/milwaukeenns.org/p.js&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;

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