Jamie Coon, former Medicaid director for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and former Dane County Commission supervisor, was named interim county executive Friday. Pending board approval, she will serve as the county's top executive until November.
Acting Dane County Executive Patrick Miles announced Kuhn's appointment after delays in executive selection caused tension and confusion among some elected officials. After Joe Parisi resigned on May 3, Miles temporarily stepped down as county commission chairman and became acting county executive. Miles is required by state law to appoint a long-term successor within 30 days of a vacancy occurring.
Miles said in the memo that he selected Coon for the role because of her 20 years of public service experience, work in both the state executive and legislative branches, and her work with more than 1,000 employees and the Department of Health Services. He credited his time overseeing a $14 billion budget. .
“I have been impressed by Jamie’s collaborative and open approach to tackling difficult issues. I am confident she will advance the important work of county services and provide a smooth transition for the person elected in November.” ,” Miles said in a prepared statement. “I am excited about the timing for Jamie and I to serve as county executives during Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Heritage Month. She will be the first Asian American woman to do so.”
Coons previously served as director of external relations for Gov. Tony Evers and chief of staff for former state Sen. Mark Miller. She earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is currently an independent consultant. She also worked for the State of Wisconsin and Milwaukee County Planned Parenthood systems.
“I am humbled by the thought of contributing to the Dane County community,” Kuhn said in a prepared statement. “We look forward to working with the Board of Supervisors, agencies, and residents during this transition period. Serving all people in our community with compassion will move us forward.”
The interim executive will help develop the county's 2025 budget for both operating costs and capital projects. The budget will need to be voted on by the county commission and the full county commission in the fall, before final approval by the county executive.
Miles said Coons' “extensive budget experience” at the state and local level makes her the right person for the job, and that her dedication “to progressive policymaking” makes her unique. He said he was uniquely qualified.
Mr. Miles told the Cap Times that he does not intend to appoint permanent executive candidates or those who have endorsed them to interim positions.
The county executive race is already crowded, with Parisi-backed state Sen. Melissa Agard, County Commission Supervisor Dana Pellebon, Office of Equity and Inclusion Director Wes Sparkman, and Madison City Council member Aldo and others are listed. Regina Vidaver is campaigning. The winner of the November election will serve out the remainder of the term, which ends in April and will be re-elected for a four-year term.
Due to the timing of the Nov. 5 special election, those elected to the county executive will have the power to approve or veto the 2025 operating and capital budgets within just one week of taking office. .
The County Commission is scheduled to vote on Kuhn's appointment at its May 23 meeting.
Alison Garfield joined Cap Times in 2021 and covers local government. She graduated from the University of California, Madison with a degree in journalism and previously worked as a government watchdog reporter for the USA TODAY NETWORK in Wisconsin, as well as serving as a state capitol intern for the Milwaukee Journal and the Sentinel. I was there.
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