In your view, what are the most important qualities, skills and experience needed to be a successful law enforcement leader today.

How are you best qualified for the job of Marquette County Sheriff?

I believe a quality leader needs to be flexible and will continue to mold themselves into what is important now and in the future. A quality leader needs to be willing to listen and be caring about what is being said in front of them, and have a vested interest. Holding ourselves accountable first and foremost, and providing expectations through a practical vision, mission, and values as a guide to follow for success. A leader needs to be engaged with all communities within our county and be fully transparent to earn trust with our citizens.

 

I have been working in law enforcement for 25 years, 22 of them in Marquette County. I have a unique skillset and a large array of experiences that I have been able to accomplish over the years professionally, and personally. I have a large skillset outside of law enforcement as well. I feel very fortunate to have a background in business and as a landlord. I care for the properties as if I was going to be a tenant myself. Being able to manage the proprieties and having the ability to provide preventive maintenance, handling of expenses, property taxes, and providing the utmost hospitality are key for a successful business personally and professionally, especially in law enforcement.

 

I also believe it is important to be vested in the community outside of law enforcement. I have been a member of the Oxford Lions Club for 10 years and routinely attend the spring and fall highway clean up days. I have been a member of the Marquette County ATV Club and Westfield White Trackers Snowmobile Club for over 5 years. Most recently, I became a member of the Marquette County Republican Party just over 2 years ago.

 

The strategic plan has always been for me to run for Sheriff in 2026 for the last several years. A large part of this plan was for me to attend several leadership courses to enhance my skillset, attend more public engagement meetings, and become well-rounded as a leader within the Sheriff’s Office.

 

I am thankful I began my career working in a 500-bed county jail facility as a correctional officer for three years. I was given the opportunity to work as a Field Training Officer (FTO) and FTO supervisor since 2003; I was able to work with new staff in the jail and on patrol to help train them to guide them with office visions and mission. I am honored to be our agency’s third K9 handler (K9-Axel) and to have had the opportunity to rejuvenate the program from 2011 – 2022, while being an active member of the team. Working with a dedicated team, the Marquette County Crime Stoppers, and gracious donors, we were able to make our K9 program what it is today.

 

In 2013, I was promoted to patrol sergeant and was able to work with a team and supervise a group of six deputies. In January 2016, I was promoted to Jail Administrator & 911 Dispatch Coordinator – Captain, in large part due to my “hybrid” background with many different skillsets and offerings for our Sheriff’s Office.

 

I was Captain of the Jail & Dispatch Division from 2016 – 2023. During this time, I was successfully able to lead a division of 22 non-union deputies within two very different skill sets (Jail and Dispatch). I was also able to maintain my law enforcement instructor status with the State of Wisconsin and continue to train deputies during our in-service sessions. I was able to be a full-time K9 handler as Captain and earned K9 Handler of the Year in 2016, while learning my new role in the division I was assigned. Within my first year as Jail Administrator an incredible sergeant and I were able to complete and establish our jail’s first standalone policy manual. Within two years we were able to go from over 30 Wisconsin DOC 350 violations down to 0 during our annual jail inspections.

 

I was recommended to attend a specialized training course by our jail inspector in Aurora, CO. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to attend a weeklong intensive training through the National Institute of Corrections on Staffing Analysis for Jail Administrators. This training has been beneficial over the years for analyzing staffing for our jail & dispatch division, as well as our patrol division.

 

I was given the opportunity to attend the Wisconsin Command College (WCC) in conjunction with UW-Madison and Wisconsin Department of Justice in 2016 – 2017. A major part of the program was a class project and research paper. My project was Jail & Dispatch Separation. I selected a current county board member (then and now) and Joe Konrath (Chief Deputy at the time) as reviewers of the project as part of graduation. The WCC accepted my completed project, and I successfully graduated class 4 as a Certified Public Manager (CPM).

 

After I completed the CPM program, Chief Deputy Konrath chose me to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico, VA and to be the second person in our agency history to attend this highly competitive executive leadership program.  I graduated from class #271 (Jan. – March 2018).

 

There were several topics discussed during my time as Jail Administrator that said they would be difficult to complete or could not be done. I have always enjoyed taking on challenges, continuing to learn and trying to improve in every area. One of the largest hurdles and challenges was to become Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliant. I am very proud to say we became the 12th county jail in Wisconsin, and the smallest county jail in Wisconsin to become PREA compliant in 2022. I would like to thank the team at the time that helped us achieve this challenging achievement.

 

In March 2023, I was requested to lead the Patrol Division and City of Montello law enforcement contract. I accepted the request and am currently in this role with our office and responsible for 16 unionized patrol deputies. I was also nominated and elected by the Marquette County Traffic Safety Committee to be the Chairperson for Marquette County.

 

While working full time for the Sheriff’s Office, I have held part-time law enforcement duties. I worked for the City of Montello part time for almost two years and then was hired by the Village of Oxford where I have been working since 2006. I was appointed to Chief of Police in December of 2018. Fun Fact- this July 4th Celebration in Oxford will be my 20th year in a row of dedicated service to the special community event and fireworks show.

 

I have listed many previous experiences and accomplishments in my career. What I am looking forward to is working through current and future challenges to help make Marquette County the best place to live, work, and visit. For more information about my vision, experience and goals please visit my website: www.kowalskiforsheriff.com