(Photo By Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
For the first time in Kenosha History, the County Board is controlled by conservatives. During the first meeting since the election, a new Chairman and Vice-Chairman were elected – Gabe Nudo and Erin Decker respectively. Both Nudo and Decker are board members of the Republican Party of Kenosha County, Decker being its Chairman. The board voted 12-9 to elect Nudo as the first ever Chairman that immigrated from another country.
Gabe Nudo – County Board Chairman
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
Gabe Nudo was born in a small town in Italy named Montalto in the province of Cosenza. Nudo lived in a small, two-bedroom home with no indoor plumbing or electricity with his parents, Grandmother, and 2 sisters. When Nudo turned 17, his parents made the choice to move to the United States for a better opportunity. Nudo worked odd jobs until he turned 18 and got a job at American Motors. He worked for AMC for the next decade and became a US Citizen. Nudo then started a successful career as a realtor and mortgage broker. Nudo has been married to his wife Marisa for almost a 50 years and has three children. One son is an Attorney, another a Police Detective, and his daughter an accountant. Nudo’s had two sisters, Maria and Anselmina who unfortunately have passed away.
When KCE asked who his idols where, he was quick to say “My parents. They taught me that I can achieve anything if I work hard.” They were right. Nudo is now the Chairman of the County Board for the 8th largest county in Wisconsin. Nudo’s father Alfonso worked for Peter Pirsh and his Mother worked for St. Catherine’s Hospital. In Nudo’s new role, he oversees the board’s agendas, decides the make-up of the committees and who chairs them, and nominates folks to different boards and commissions. He is tasked with deciding what direction to take the county in, along with the newly-elected County Executive, Samantha Kerkman. “I look forward to working with County Executive Samantha Kerkman and her administration to make decisions that are in the best interest of the county tax-payers. I also want to unite the board and for the county to be fiscally responsible again.”
Some democrats on the County Board were upset that they would not be selecting the next leaders. Among them, the most vocal were Andy Berg (D), Jeff Gentz (D), Jeff Wamboldt (D) and Daniel Gashke (D). They tried unsuccessfully to nominate Supervisor Yuhas (D) as the Chairman. Gentz was upset that the Board did not uphold its tradition of nominating a democrat. “It’s tradition,” he argued unsuccessfully. After Yuhas’s defeat, she was very gracious and professional. She personally shook hands with the chair and vice-chair, congratulating them and even changed out the name tags for Nudo and Decker. By all accounts, she showed class and grace.
Nudo was kind enough to allow KCE to have a tour of his new office. Dust covered the furniture and there were documents on the desk decades old. It seemed as the previous Chairman, John O’Day (D) never used the office. O’Day was made infamous when he fled the state during the riots of 2020. Nudo told KCE he has meetings tomorrow with staff and is eager to “get to work.” He says he will use the office to meet with anyone who wants to talk, having an open-door policy.
Visit From the County Executive
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
County Executive Kerkman took a brief break from her long first day in office to congratulate Nudo and Decker. Kerkman hired Tami Rongstad, a longtime staffer from Kerkman’s Madison office as her chief of staff. Kerkman also hired west-ender and journalist Jill Tatge-Rozell to serve as her office manager. She will begin work in mid May.
More Photos from Tuesday Night:
(Anyone on the board, or family members can contact us if they want to see all photos taken from Tuesday night and we will send you any you want. No cost, of course.)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
(Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
15 Responses
Congratulations to all!! I’m hopeful that we can turn Kenosha around.
kevin- you took some great pics. in the 17 pictures posted- i find it interesting that there is not a single black person in the pictures(not even in the audience)- no Asians, no red dot indians- if there are any muslims i did not see the head coverings- so- not a whole lot of diversity there- but a gracious plenty of democrats that still need to be voted out. kenosha is getting there slowly. the conservative republicans need to stay on task and continue to stay the course to be the majority in all factions of government in kenosha.
Don’t be a negative Nancy Jogie. Isn’t there only one minority Republican anyway? Dr. Ben Carson had a prior engagement. The others you mentioned were in planning for the next city they’ll burn down this summer with consultant of cowards , our Mayor. LOL
Another good-OLD-white(&red)-boy gets into power. Headline: Past Local 72 member rejects his roots” and joins all-white cronies to move our county back into dark ages and prevents a younger, more forward thinking prospect from guiding Kenosha toward a better future. Shame.
Bet you excuse riots.
You mean like the forward thinking coward of a Mayor we have to guide Kenosha to a better future? Your Kool aid is ready Mark…here you go.
You erase my post often so I don’t expect this one to stay either but holy cow….the white supremacists and the promotion of white power from your followers is disgusting. I wish you could just be a republican with our all the extremist. I miss the john mccain republicans
We need younger people in power……electing 70 or 80 year old people to county boards or President of the USA does nothing for us. The world is completely different than what these people know.
I call bullshit on your statement JC. Public school indoctrination that has caused a woke movement in this country. I’m not that old but old enough to
know that young private schooled or home schooled young people are free thinkers. The rest from public schools are brainwashed tools. The older bring wisdom and knowledge to the table. There are rare exceptions I’ll admit though in general students from public school are brainwashed liberals who haven’t got a clue.
Da fuk you talking about? I didn’t mean a goddamn 19 year old.
Kevin, will you please erase Jayden Jones rachst comments and views please.
I meant racist comments and views. Thank you.
Jayden, fyi mcCain was a turncoat rino. Probably why you miss him. He was no republican in my book.
Congratulations to everyone! Love all the smiles!
Any way for them to get rid of Gravely, or are you guys stuck with him until the next election?