County Executive Samantha Kerkman today announced the appointment of Richard Ferrari
Traner to serve as Director of the Kenosha County Division of Public Health and the county’s
Health Officer.
Ferrari Traner comes to Kenosha County from the Wisconsin Department of Children and
Families, where he worked roughly four years as Manager of the Prevention and Early
Intervention Section.
Prior to that, Ferrari Traner was a Health Project Supervisor for the City of Milwaukee Health
Department and a Human Service Worker for the Milwaukee County Department on Aging. A
veteran of the Wisconsin Army National Guard, he served as a Director of Plans Coordination,
supervising up to 200 soldiers at the Company level.
Ferrari Traner holds a Bachelor and Master of Social Work from the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
“With his broad experience on the state and local levels and his impressive credentials, I’m
confident Ricky will be a highly effective leader of the county’s Public Health operations,”
Kerkman said. “I am pleased to welcome him to Kenosha County.”
Ferrari Traner began serving in the position on an interim basis on Monday, pending final
confirmation by the County Board. His appointment passed the Human Services Committee on a
unanimous vote last week and will go before the full board Nov. 18.
Ferrari Traner succeeds former Health Director Lori Plahmer, who resigned earlier this year.
“As the new Kenosha County Health Officer, I bring to this role years of experience in federal,
state and local prevention, logistics and organizational leadership,” Ferrari Traner said.
“I look
forward to collaborating with other community leaders to ensure the health and well-being of
Kenosha County residents and their families.”
1010 56th Street, 3rd Floor • Kenosha, WI 53140 • 262-653-2600
County.Executive@kenoshacountywi.gov • www.kenoshacountywi.govKenosha County Human Services Director John Jansen said he, too, welcomes Ferrari Traner to
his department’s leadership team.
“From the city and county of Milwaukee to the state and the Wisconsin Natural Guard, Ricky
has been a leader in many arenas,” Jansen said. “I look forward to working with him on the many
programs and services that Public Health provides.”
More information about Kenosha County Public Health and its various functions is available at
https://www.kenoshacountywi.gov/Health.