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Next Suamico administrator coming from Pennsylvania

By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer

SUAMICO – After meeting in closed session Monday, May 6, the Suamico village board approved hiring an interim township manager from Pennsylvania as the next village administrator.

Alex Kaker, who has ties to Wisconsin and is originally from Verona, will take over as Suamico’s village administrator effective June 10 with a starting annual salary of $93,500, said Village Clerk Bonnie Swan.

Swan also noted Kaker, who has been employed for the past five years with the Upper Gwynedd Township near Philadelphia, was one of 24 applicants and among the five finalists for village administrator.

The list of finalists released by the village also included: Michael Cramer, former town manager in Carolina Beach, North Carolina; Brentt Michalek, former interim Sauk County administrative coordinator who now lives in Green Bay; Jeff Mikorski, former city administrator in Verona; and Adam Ruechel, village of Marshall administrator/treasurer.

The Oshkosh-based Public Administration Associates assisted Suamico in the hiring process for the village administrator.

Alex Kaker

Kaker will be replacing the retiring Steve Kubacki, who turned 65 earlier this year and has held the position since 2011.

Prior to arriving in Suamico, Kubacki had been the Chippewa County administrator.

Kubacki’s approximately 40 years in municipal and county government has also included 15 years of being the director of administrative services in Ashwaubenon, a position that has become the village manager now held by Allison Swanson.

Kubacki indicated his final week on the job will be the final week in May, but he also plans to return to help Kaker when he takes over the position.

Kaker, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in recreation management from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in 2011, recently earned a master’s degree in public administration from Villanova University.

He has a background in parks and recreation that also includes positions he held in Wisconsin, California and Utah, prior to arriving in Pennsylvania.

After being hired by the Upper Gwynedd Township in October 2014 as the assistant director of parks and recreation, Kaker was appointed as the director of parks and recreation in February 2015 before being appointed assistant township manager last June and then becoming the interim township manager last November.

Kaker said his wife, Jenna, who has worked as a school psychologist in Philadelphia, also originates from Wisconsin in Hilbert, where her parents still live.

Kaker and his wife have a four-month-old daughter, Ruby.

When asked about what interested him in becoming village administrator in Suamico, Kaker said the village is similar in population to Upper Gwynedd Township, with the position providing his family the opportunity to return to Wisconsin.

“Suamico is a beautiful part of not only the state of Wisconsin, but of the country,” he said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to raise our family here and I look forward to working with the staff and trustees to continue making Suamico a great place to live, work and play.”

Kaker said he will be wrapping up his current position in Pennsylvania on June 3 with a golf outing before making the move to Wisconsin.

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