Jan Guilette, Door County Board of Supervisors Candidate

Hello District 3 Neighbors!

JanGuilette26

I’m Jan Guilette from Forestville, and I’m running for Door County Board of Supervisors because I want to serve our community with the experience I’ve built over decades living here.

Election Day is Tuesday, April 6th, 2026!

I don’t come with a personal agenda—just a commitment to bring balanced, thoughtful decisions to the table. I always look at challenges from all sides, not just my own, to find solutions that work for everyone.
Whether it’s small issues or big county decisions, I won’t just vote with the crowd.  I’ll listen attentively, ask tough questions, and represent District 3’s voices.
Door County District 3

Experience & Expertise

Education
I hold an Associate’s Degree in Architecture from NWTC and have continued learning every year since—through classes, reading, and hands-on experience in design, finance, and community leadership.

That ongoing curiosity helps me stay informed and adaptable, whether it’s understanding new regulations or finding creative solutions for county challenges. I’m committed to bringing that same dedication to learning to the Door County Board of Supervisors.
Financial Experience
Before focusing on family and our businesses, I spent 7 years in banking—starting in loans, advancing to teller, loan officer, and assistant manager. 

Back then (when we used paper!), I honed skills in analyzing financial reports, reviewing legal documents, customer service, and team management. 

Those experiences trained me to understand  and recognize fiscal responsibility.  On the County Board, I’ll apply that same careful approach to budgeting—ensuring our tax dollars are used wisely for roads, health services, emergency response, parks, and more. I will strive to strike a balance between providing county services and avoiding unnecessary taxes.

Faith & Family
Faith and Family come first for me, and Door County has been home for our whole story. 
Happily married to Kevin for 32 years,  we have four adult children, plus our youngest daughter still in middle school. Over the years, we’ve juggled work, school activities, farm chores, and careers—learning to balance it all with grace (and a lot of coffee!). 

Living and raising a family here has given me a deep appreciation for what makes District 3 special: strong, rural communities, Christian values, and room for families to thrive.
Community Involvement
I’ve always believed in giving back locally. I have experience on many boards and committees, serving the roles of Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.  I have a full listing of my past and current committees below. 

These roles have shown me how collaboration builds stronger communities—and prepared me to contribute on county committees like Resource Planning, Finance, Administrative, Highway and Facilities, or others where my skills fit. 
Business
My husband Kevin and I own and manage several businesses, where I handle budgeting, accounting, advertising, employee management–all of which require responsible spending.

I understand tight budgets firsthand—we don’t want to pay more taxes than necessary, but we all rely on county services that need proper funding. 

As supervisor, I’ll prioritize prudent, transparent decisions that balance needs with affordability. From plowed roads in winter to supporting our parks and emergency services, I’ll work for smart allocation of resources.
Farming
Since moving to our home in 1994, we’ve run a small family farm—raising cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, rabbits, and more through rain or shine. We’ve rented and worked the land ourselves over the years.

This life has given me real insight into agriculture, land use, and the challenges rural families face. Farming isn’t just work–it’s part of what makes District 3 and much of Door County home. 

I realize we have farms of all sizes in our communities, all of which provide food and crops locally and abroad. I  value preserving our farming heritage while supporting farms large and small, through sustainable practices. 

Business Experience

As designer at Countrywide Construction & Design, I’ve created homes that fit Door County’s unique character. I also manage accounting and HR.
I work regularly with Door County Land Services on zoning/permits, know the Zoning Ordinance inside out, and have advocated for homeowners at board of review meetings in our county and elsewhere.
In 2022-2023, we partnered with the Door County Housing Partnership to build two much needed affordable workforce homes in Sturgeon Bay—keeping costs low and promoting donor support. This hands-on experience will help me make informed decisions on land use, housing, and growth.
In 2022, Kevin and I started Red Barn Corn Maze—a family-friendly, alcohol-free venue celebrating our rural heritage and giving locals/tourists a fun outdoor venue.


In just a few short years, we have gained so much fulfillment from putting smiles on the faces of visitors from all backgrounds (and countries!), and watching the development of our young staff.


It’s given me direct experience with agri-tourism’s benefits and challenges in Door County.

As Supervisor, I will make decisions that balance our county’s reliance on tourism, and the needs of our residents to live and work here comfortably.

This business, located just inside Kewaunee County, is just as it says, a venison processing facility. I handle all of the budgeting and accounting for the business.

Although not an outdoorsman myself, my husband and children are hunters, trappers, and fishers. Personally, I enjoy being in nature, hiking and exploring our county’s Land Trust sites, County, and State parks.

I believe there can be a balance between preserving our natural resources, and preserving the rights of our citizens to hunt responsibly on private and public lands.

From 1992-2000, I’ve held a variety of roles at different banks in the Green Bay area. I got my start in a loan department, where we still used a typewritter to create mortgages and loan documents. Having to actually read and type the documents gave me a deep understanding of different legal documents, and real estate descriptions.

The bank I worked at consolidated their loan department to Milwaukee, and from there I moved on.
For those of you who remember Cub Foods, I worked as a teller in the North Shore Bank in-store branch for 2 years.

Looking to advance, I then finished out my banking career at Firstar Bank (now US Bank) in downtown Green Bay. I started there as a Personal Banker and Lender, and advanced to Senior Assistant Manager. I worked with many business owners, and learned to analyze profit and loss statements and other financial documents. I also was a trainer both locally and out-of-state.

My banking experience gave me a foundation in finance has been invaluable in both business and community involvement.  I will carry this knowledge with me as a Door County Supervisor.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention being a wife and mother as “business experience”!  Raising my family has been the most rewarding career I have had.  Our self-employment allowed me to work from home when our children were young. Any parent knows that raising children requires patience, understanding, thoughtful consideration, and being firm in our convictions.  And, when both parents are in the picture, it  requires a lot of collaboration and compromise.

Working with other adults sometimes feels like working with children (no offense intended, sometimes I may take the role of ‘child!’).  Those same skills I have used as a parent–patience, understanding, consideration, and firm convictions–are employed as a member of committees and boards.

Current Community Involvement

Sometime in the early 2000s I served two terms on the Board of Directors.  More recently,  I have been on the Board as a Builder Director since 2019. I led the Board for two terms as President in 2024 and 2025, and remain on the Board of Directors as Past President.

The Door County Homebuilders Association’s role is to work with the Door County communities and state and local government to provide safe, attainable quality housing with integrity, high standards of professionalism, concern for the environment, and service.

Members of the DCHBA are committed to working together to represent the interests of the building industry while providing a quality workforce to their customers in Door County.  

As an owner of multiple businesses in Southern Door County, I was pleased to see the creation of this group in 2012.  I joined the Board of Directors in November, 2025.

The purpose of the Southern Door Business Association is to promote and advance Southern Door County by ensuring a first-class visitor experience, supporting the growth of local businesses, and enhancing the quality of life in Southern Door County.

All of our businesses, from tourism, to service, to industrial, to farms support our economy, our workforce, and our future.  The county’s policies and activities have a symbiotic relationship with our local communities.  As a supervisor, I would consider how county and local are inter-twined, and how the decisions of one impact the other.  

I have been a member of this committee since 2001, and the Chairperson for about as long.  This group over the years promotes prayer, service, and financial support of our parish and our greater community.  

Currently, this group has a strong focus on outreach–serving and generating support for our community.  This involves organizing food and personal care drives, diaper drives, and the parish’s long-running Christmas Giving Tree.  

Although I have been blessed with a roof over my head and food on my table, others in our community have all degrees of struggle to provide for themselves and their family.  God calls us all to tend to the poor and needy.  I believe in donating to our neighbors with goods in their time of need, but also supporting them with skills and opportunities to provide for their families.  “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, but teach a man to fish and you fed him for life.”  Sometimes people need a “fish”, and sometimes they need “teaching”.  My goal on County Board will be to strike a balance and make sound decisions of when something needs tax dollar funding, and when a community or group simply needs to be empowered to provide for themselves.  

I helped form and currently serve as Secretary for this newly formed non-profit corporation.  

The Friends of the Robert Baumann Memorial Park was created to enrich the Forestville community by fundraising for, promoting, and maintaining the playground facilities located at the Forestville Town Hall.

The short term goal of the board is to fundraise and distribute funds over the next 3 years for ADA bathrooms, a safe, modern, and inclusive playground, and pickleball courts.   Our board and members are dedicated to improving the recreational space that honors the legacy of Robert Baumann through active play and community engagement.

As an adult leader, I have helped with a variety of activities over the years.  Our small club has a fearless leader who facilitates our group, and I assist in ways that I can.  All of our children have been members of 4-H into high school and beyond. 

Although many people think of animals and the County Fair when they hear 4-H, the organization is much more. Their mission areas are civic engagement and leadership, healthy living, and science.

4-H does a wonderful job teaching youth parliamentary procedure, which is a skill they don’t pick up in many other groups or activities.  Our club participates in community service on an almost monthly basis.

Programs like 4-H empower our youth to serve the community. 4-H  and FFA also foster passions for farming and rural life.  These missions are invaluable for Door County’s future. 

Through my support of Kevin as Town Chairman of Forestville, I’ve become more involved with our local government.

Although the Town of Forestville (and Clay Banks) are covered under the umbrella of the Door County Land Use Services Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, we still have a voice at the local municipality level.  I brought my extensive knowledge of the building codes and zoning ordinances to this committee that serves the Township.  As a member of the Forestville Zoning Commission, I advise the town board on County-level zoning questionnaires, and analyze and advise on local landowner requests for variances and Conditional Use Permits.

Past Community Involvement

I served four years on the St. Mary Finance Council in the late 1990s, both as a member and as Secretary.  Our role on the council involved setting and adhering to the parish budget, creating and analyzing reports, and fundraising efforts for the parish and school.  

This gave me much experience in fiscal responsibility, as we typically had more expenses than revenues.  

Similar to working on the parish finance council, the school’s advisory board was to balance the necessities of a quality education with a very limited budget.  

This role involved many hard decisions when it came to finances.  I will carry that experience with me in a role on the County Board.

Our children have attended both private and public (Southern Door School District) schools.  Over the years, I have served on committees that handled fundraising and volunteer coordination for the school at large, and for smaller teams, activities, and groups.  I have served these various committees not only as a general member, but also as President, Treasurer, and Secretary.