Liberty Grove Chair and Supervisor Candidate Bios

A primary will be held Feb. 17 to narrow down the candidates for town chairman and supervisor for the Town of Liberty Grove. Six candidates are running for chairman: Charlie Most Jr., John Lowry, Nancy Goss, Regina Thorn and Ann Miller. Their biographies are included here, and further information, including positions on the Gills Rock Marina proposal, is available at ppulse.com.

The primary will narrow these candidates to two.

Five candidates are running for two town supervisor positions. They are Kim Maedke-Shumway, Mary Kay Shumway, Jill Karkau, Nancy Goss and Frank Forkert. The primary will narrow this list to four for the April 7 general election.

If Forkert and/or Goss are among the finalists for either position, they will appear on the ballot for both chairman and supervisor April 7. If one of them were to win both chairman and supervisor, they would then choose which position to take.

Ann Miller

Ann M. Miller (Candidate for Town Chair Only)

2604 Grove Road, Baileys Harbor

920.839.2288

Family: Husband Jim Gordon

Education: Gibraltar High School, 1972; Milwaukee Area Technical College, 1985 Diploma in Auto Repair and Advanced Auto Computerized Electronics Diagnostics/Repair; numerous ongoing technical educational classes in the automotive field; Re-certified ASE Master Auto Repair; re-certified as a food service manager; attendance at ongoing educational programs/seminars for town government officials; certified: Levels 100 and 700 of the NIMS (municipal disaster management); certified: Wisconsin Department of Revenue Board of Review (for citizen property taxation issues)

Occupation: Self-employed owner-technician of A.M. Enterprises Auto Repair since 1987; co-owner/operator of Door County Kraut Company & Produce since 2002; co-owner/operator of Gustave’s Getaway

Previous/Current Elected Office: Liberty Grove Town Supervisor (2006 – present), Plan Commission, chair of Parks and Properties, Highway, and Health, Safety, and Welfare committees;

Liberty Grove representative to the County of Door 2030 Core Planning Committee; Door County Chapter of the Wisconsin Town’s Association (Vice-chair)

Relevant Experience/ Civic Involvement: Primary coordinator of the Harbor/Grove Community Calendar for 14 years; served three years as president of the Baileys Harbor Business Association

Charlie Most Jr.

Charlie Most Jr. (Candidate for Town Chair Only)

1048 Cottage Lane, Ellison Bay

920.854.9085

Family: Single

Education: BA in Economics, Marquette University

Occupation: Self-employed

Previous Elected Office: Town of Liberty Grove Supervisor (two terms); Town of Liberty Grove Chairman (three terms); Door County Board of Supervisors Chairman (three terms)

Relevant Experience/ Civic Involvement: Former member of Sturgeon Bay Rotary; Former board member of FISC, Door County Green Fund, Door County Economic Development Corporation Technology Council, and Door County Skate; Former chairman of local unit of Wisconsin Towns Association, Municipal Taxpayer Commission, and Liberty Grove Plan Commission

Frank Forkert

Frank Forkert (Candidate for both Town Chair and Town Supervisor)

l904 Hillside Drive, Ellison Bay

920.854.409l

Family: Wife Jan, sons Rodger, Russell and Gordon, daughter Julie and grandson Sam

Education: Principia College in Economics and International Relations

Previous Elected Office: NA

Relevant Experience/ Civic Involvement: Birch Creek (Chairman); Door County Maritime Museum Board; Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands Board; Sister Bay Marina (committee member on final project); Liberty Grove Sanitary District #1 (citizen activator); owned and operated a business in Liberty Grove for 23 years

John Lowry

John Lowry (Candidate for Town Chair Only)

11587 Beach Road, Sister Bay

920.421.1158

Family: Wife Peg

Education: Lincoln High School, Manitowoc; BS Degree with Major in Political Science from University of Wisconsin-Madison; Continuing education credits from UW-Extension

Occupation: Own and operate Blue Dolphin House and BDH Studio with wife Peg

Previous Elected Offices: Village of Ephraim Trustee; President Village of Ephraim Board of Trustees

Relevant Experience/Civic Involvement: Taught in Kohler Public School System 13 years; coached basketball and football; Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association sports official; served as business manager for Masquers, Inc. – oldest continuing community theater organization in Wisconsin; served on Governor’s Council on Tourism; chaired Downtown Manitowoc Redevelopment Committee; member and co-founder of Ephraim Business Council; Ephraim Wastewater Commission (Chair) which oversaw planning and construction of Ephraim Waste Water System; served on Door County Chamber of Commerce Board as member of Executive Committee and President; member of Door County Strategic Marketing Coalition; member of Room Tax Task Force; served as first Chairman of the Board for new Door County Visitor Bureau

Nancy Goss

Nancy Barnowsky Goss (Candidate for both Town Chair and Town Supervisor)

12020 Timberline Road, Ellison Bay

920.854.5776

Family: Husband Tom, daughter Eryn, two dogs, four spoiled rotten cats, 34 Japanese koi (ornamental carp) and 14 chickens

Education: Baileys Harbor Grade School, Gibraltar High School, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Occupation: 11 years as administrative assistant for the Village of Ephraim, five as Zoning Administrator and four as Treasurer; relinquished Zoning Administrator position and went to half-time employment when elected to Liberty Grove Town Board in 2007

Previous Elected Office: Liberty Grove Town Board of Supervisors (2007 – present)

Relevant Experience/Civic Involvement: Door County Department of Community Programs (1994 – 1997); Village of Ephraim (1997 – present), Zoning Administrator (2002 – 2006), Treasurer (2006 – present); Liberty Grove Plan Commission (2002 – 2004) during Smart Growth Comprehensive Plan completion;

Liberty Grove Health, Safety and Welfare Committee; Liberty Grove Finance Committee (Chair); Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Board; Represent Liberty Grove on the Door County Tourism Zone Commission.

Regina Thorn

Regina Thorn (Candidate for Town Chair Only)

12491 Hwy 42, Ellison Bay

920.854.5917

Family: Husband Randy and son Milton

Education: Sevastopol High School, 1981; Wisconsin College of Cosmetology

Occupation: Stay-at-home mom, former hair stylist for 15 years in northern Door County

Previous Elected Office (if any): NA

Relevant Experience/ Civic Involvement: Life experience by working and residing in Gills Rock for 20 years

Kim Maedke-Shumway (Candidate for Town Supervisor Only)

1599 Ranch Lane

Ellison Bay

920.854.4937

Family: Husband Steve Shumway

Education: 1985 Graduate of Southern Door Schools; Blue Sky School of Massage Therapy (2004)

Occupation: Certified Massage Therapist employed at the Spa at Sacred Grounds in Ephraim; I also operate a small cleaning business

Previous Elected Office: None

Relevant Experience/Civic Involvement: Secretary and executive committee member of Ellison Bay Service Club (EBSC); Member of EBSC Environmental Committee

MaryKay Shumway (Candidate for Town Supervisor Only)

11108 Hillcrest Road

Kim Maedke-Shumway

Sister Bay

920.854.4959

Education: University of Wisconsin, Communications; American Institute for Paralegal Studies, General Paralegal Sciences/Civil Litigation

Occupation: Wisconsin Real Estate Broker, Realtor®; Accredited Buyer Representative and Senior Real Estate Specialist, Re/Max Peninsula Properties

Family: Husband John M. Shumway and daughters Kaytlin, 15, and Kierra, 13, who attend Gibraltar Area Schools

Previous Elected Office: Liberty Grove Town Supervisor from November 2000 until April 2005.

Relevant Experience/Civic Involvement:

Previous

Marykay Shumway

Town of Liberty Grove Finance Committee; Health, Safety and Welfare Committee; Wills Park Marina ad-hoc committee (Chair); Liberty Grove Housing and Economic Development Ad-Hoc Committee (Co-chair); Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Commission (Commissioner); Planning Commissioner (2001 – 2005); Former member of the National Association of Legal Assistants; Sister Bay Economic Development Committee

Current

Town of Liberty Grove Planning Commissioner; Director for the Door County Board of Realtors®, Chair of Legal Affairs Committee and co-chair of the RPAC committee; Public Policy Committee for the Wisconsin Realtors® Association; Active supporter of Gibraltar Area Schools, including Friends of Gibraltar.

Jill Karkau (Candidate for Town Supervisor Only)

12196 Badger Road

Ellison Bay

Family:  Sons Evan and Aaron

Education:  Daemon University, Amherst, New York, Art history and sculpture; NWTC-Green Bay, Wisconsin Real Estate brokers license, ’85-04; University of Wisconsin – Green Bay,  environmental policy and planning.

Previous Elected Office: None

Relevent Experience/ Civic Involvement:  Smart Growth Planning Committee (Secretary)