Hon. Kurt Gibbs

Kurt Gibbs serves as the Chairperson of the Marathon County Board, a position he has held since 2014.  Kurt is the Chief Elected Officer, presiding over one of the largest county boards in the country and an organization of over 700 employees who serve over 139,000 residents.

Kurt has overseen countless projects to further Marathon County’s vision to be the healthiest, safest and most prosperous county in the state. He led the county through a process to enhance public safety by ensuring residents received “the right emergency service, at the right location, at the right time.” He also played a key leadership role in establishing a multi-county agreement for behavioral health services, a partnership that resulted in improved services and significant investments in a campus of treatment facilities.

Kurt has served as the county’s representative to NACo since 2012, serving on the Rural Action Caucus; Agriculture & Rural Affairs Steering Committee; and the Finance, Pensions & Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. In 2018, Kurt was elected to serve as Wisconsin’s NACo Board Director. In 2021, Kurt was elected Chair of NACo’s audit committee.

While Kurt’s first experience in elected office began in 2006, his career in public service began in 1977, when he enlisted in the United States Air Force at the age of 17.  After Kurt’s military service, he returned home to take on the family business, a tax and accounting firm.

Kurt is active in numerous service organizations and causes. He served as a volunteer firefighter and emergency responder for nearly two decades and was treasurer for his local church for six years. He enjoys spending time with his family, his wife of 47 years and his adult daughter and her husband. Other hobbies include woodworking, cabinet making and great lakes fishing.