Douglas County Board fills vacant seat by appointment

Jun. 16—SUPERIOR — The Douglas County Board is back to full ranks Thursday, June 15 after supervisors approved the appointment of Lee Sandok-Baker to fill the vacancy left by Keith Allen's resignation in April.

"We had two very good candidates out there," said County Board Chairman Mark Liebaert. "I spent some time going back and forth trying to figure it out, and this is how we ended up."

Liebaert said Sandok-Baker is the first working mother to join the board during his tenure on the board.

Sandok-Baker has lived in the city of Superior for nearly 20 years.

Sandok-Baker grew up in McGregor, Minnesota and attended the College of St. Scholastica, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communication. She said she worked as a news producer in Duluth and Fort Myers, Florida. After moving back to Superior, she said she went to work for the city in 2006 and has worked in the records division of the Superior Police Department, at the landfill, but she spent most of her time in building inspection.

Sandok-Baker currently serves as the city's code compliance officer.

"My husband, Harry, and I had our first house down here on Cumming Avenue, a couple of doors down from Doug Finn," Sandok-Baker said.

The former chairman who served more than 35 years on the board was her first introduction to county government, she said.

After 12 years on Cumming Avenue, she said the family moved to Allouez.

"I'm excited for this opportunity," Sandok-Baker said. "I have been interested ... in government and policy for a long, long time. After working for the city, I became more interested."

Among her goals in joining the board, Sandok-Baker said is to set a good example for her 11-year-old daughter.

Sandok-Baker will fill the vacancy until the term expires in April 2024.