Election 2022: County Board District 14

Darrick DeMeuse

Darrick DeMeuse, 43, is a resident of the Town of Sevastopol. He attended Northern Michigan University for television/radio production and digital arts and computer animation. He works as an independent videographer and editor, and as a night auditor at AmericInn. He has made two unsuccessful runs for a seat on the Sevastopol Town Board, in 2019 and 2020. 

Peninsula Pulse (PP): What is your primary motivation for running for a seat on the county board?

Darrick DeMeuse (DD): I would like to see a county board represented by multi generations, and to be a part of the development of new ideas as the county continues to grow. By being born and raised in Door County, I have a unique insight and want to serve the public as my parents did (Mom was a teacher, and Dad served in the Army and fought in Vietnam). I will continue to support agriculture, education and internet expansion. I understand the balance of supporting local farmers and tourism and want to make decisions that promote community cohesiveness. I am going to listen to all Door County residents to support an even stronger community.

PP: Please describe your leadership style.

DD: I am laid back and easygoing and a good listener. I want people to feel comfortable coming to me to voice concerns. My contact information will be available for everyone – not just my constituents – and I will encourage anyone who has any concerns to feel free to contact me via phone or email.

PP: What experience do you have that would make you good in an elected office in general, and for the county board specifically?   

DD: With primary knowledge of computers and technology, I want to be an educated voice through the county’s broadband expansion. I have held leadership positions in high school and college, as well as local organizations. Currently, I serve on the Town of Sevastopol Communications Committee since 2019. I am also on the board of Open Door Pride. I also work with Sevastopol School on the Centennial Yearbook that will be released in 2024, as well as a memorial video that is still in the works for the preservation of the 1924 section of the school that was recently demolished. 

PP: What would be changed, fixed, solved or made better if you were elected to the board? How would your new presence make a meaningful difference?

DD: Something to be made better is that the county board should be on an alternating election term so that the entire board is not elected in the same election cycle. By doing that, the county board members should be less scared to take up more controversial resolutions due to fears of not being reelected and the entire board being replaced in one election. I will make a meaningful difference by being able to see the whole picture of a situation and to listen and make well-informed decisions.

PP: What is something that few people know about you (and now more will)?

DD: I love photography and usually enter my photography at the county fair so I can share my photography with everyone. 

Hugh Zettel

Hugh Zettel, 63, is a resident of the Town of Sevastopol. He has a B.S. from the Milwaukee School of Engineering and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. He is retired from a 36-year career spent with GE Healthcare in various engineering, marketing, advocacy and sustainability leadership roles. He and wife, Cheryl, have three adult children and two grandchildren. This is his first time running for an elective office. 

Peninsula Pulse (PP): What is your primary motivation for running for a seat on the county board?

Hugh Zettel (HZ): Door County was a great place to grow up, and I want to use my time and talents to ensure that we protect its charm, neighborhoods, farms and natural resources for future generations. Serving on the Town of Sevastopol Plan Commission, I now realize the county-related zoning dependencies that municipalities encounter when trying to address their residents’ quality-of-life concerns, and I pledge to increase county collaboration to help them find solutions.

PP: Please describe your leadership style.

HZ: I lead by being collaborative, humble, transparent and solution focused. 

PP: What experience do you have that would make you good in an elected office in general, and for the county board specifically?   

HZ: My experience leading large, regulated business operations with diverse, global team members would be an asset to this role because both require strong collaboration, planning and communication skills to be effective. I’ve worked in the high-tech space my entire career, so I understand the challenges with deploying technology like broadband. 

I’ve also utilized my work experience in private-public partnerships at both the state and federal levels. For example, I served on the governor’s board to create Wisconsin’s eHealth Action Plan, which developed an electronic health-information exchange strategy to improve population health. Serving on the Sevastopol Plan Commission, the quarry-development project and the short-term-rental ordinance effort gave me valuable experience in utilizing both public feedback and the town’s comprehensive plan as guideposts in balancing development with our residents’ quality-of-life expectations. 

PP: What would be changed, fixed, solved or made better if you were elected to the board? How would your new presence make a meaningful difference?

HZ: I’m a fourth-generation Door County native who grew up working in family-owned construction and orchard businesses, so I understand what District 14 residents mean when they tell me they want to preserve the charm and rural character of their towns. 

At the macro level, the existing economic environment has created an imbalance that’s generated negative impacts, from workforce housing to increased environmental risk. This imbalance is now creating quality-of-life impacts in residential neighborhoods, especially for residents who desire to age in place. Working on the Sevastopol Plan Commission, I’ve gained insights regarding areas where the county can and should do more, from enforcing existing sanitary ordinances to protecting our groundwater, to updating zoning ordinances that address the quality-of-life issues in neighborhoods zoned residential. Additionally, the county needs to be an active partner with Destination Door County as it defines and implements its “managing tourism” strategy. 

Relative to specific near-term projects, broadband expansion is a high priority that requires more county engagement to reduce duplication of effort by the municipalities, as well as taking advantage of economies of scale. Funding to ensure adequate child care services is also a high priority. A postpandemic concern that should be assessed is determining our mental-health services’ capabilities, potential gaps and a means of addressing them. 

PP: What is something that few people know about you (and now more will)?

HZ: I was a member of the team that developed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system in the mid-1980s, including assembling and installing the first two such systems in Wisconsin hospitals.