County Executive

About County Executive Samantha Kerkman

Samantha Kerkman is a Kenosha County native who has dedicated her entire career to public service.

Born and raised in the western part of the county, she graduated from Wilmot Union High School and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. After working as a staff member for state Representative Cloyd Porter, she was elected to the state Assembly upon Porter’s retirement in 2000.

During her more than two decades as a representative, she co-chaired the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and served as chair of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee.

In April 2022, Kerkman was elected as Kenosha County Executive, becoming the first woman to serve in the position.

Kerkman has two sons, Ian and Evan, who are now both students at Wilmot Union High School.

Duties and Responsibilities of the County Executive

The Kenosha County Executive is a non-partisan position elected by county residents every four years at the spring general election. The county executive is responsible for most administrative and management functions of county government.

The most important part of the county executive’s job is preparing the annual county budget for the County Board of Supervisors. The budget is presented in the fall of each year and covers road construction and maintenance, E-911, law enforcement, fire and emergency management, county parks and golf courses and other county operations.

The county executive also appoints and supervises county department heads. The executive also appoints the non-elected members to all the boards and commissions who are then subject to confirmation by the county board.

The ultimate job of the county executive is to keep our community moving forward. This means continuing to grow the economy by attracting new, well paying jobs, providing top notch services to the citizens of Kenosha County and making it a destination for tourists and workers from across the region.