Jessica Mudgett

Please tell us about yourself. What is your background?

I was born and raised in Rib Lake and graduated high school there. I moved away for several years decided I wanted to raise my kids in Taylor County and be close to family, so I moved back to the area in 2008. I now have a grown daughter and am a grandma to the cutest 3-year-old boy. My middle daughter will graduate from Rib Lake High School in May. I am married to the love of my life, Cody Mudgett and in 2013 we welcomed our 3rd daughter into the world who is currently attending Rib Lake Elementary School. I received my Business Management Degree from Rasmussen college in 2013 and I put that degree to good use in 2017. After 20 years of working in banking, I took the job as Executive Director of Taylor County Housing Authority and I absolutely love my job and the work I do here. In 2018 I started a nonprofit to address homelessness in Taylor County and am proud to say in 2022 we opened the doors to the Taylor House Homeless Shelter in Medford. I remain President of the Board for that organization. I work seasonally as the Salvation Army Red Kettle Coordinator, and I am actively involved as a Chamber Ambassador. I am also Vice President of Friends of Rib Lake and am actively involved in that non-profit organization as well.

Why do you want to serve on County Board? I want to be a part of the change needed on the Taylor County Board of Supervisors. We need change and I am an active member of this community and want to represent my district and be a voice for my district on the County level.

What do you think the biggest challenge facing the county over the course of the next 5 years will be and how would you address it?

I think one challenge is rebuilding community trust, recruiting, and retaining high quality employees. I think one step towards this is creating and filling the position for a county administrator.

What skill or ability can you bring to the county board that will help the county continue to move forward?

I am very connected to this community; I am involved in several different organizations and activities in this community. I have a background in grant writing as well as a degree in Business Management. I have served on boards for the past 6 years and look forward to continuing to be an active part of this community.

What is something the county is doing right? Taylor County is fiscally responsible.