Police officer is new Election Commission head

Milwaukee Police Capt. Sue Edman, a veteran police officer, is Mayor Tom Barrett's choice to head Milwaukee's troubled City Elections Commission. Barrett is to make the announcement at a 1:15 news conference today.

Edman, 51, has spent the last 18 years of her 28-year MPD career in supervisory positions,including overseeing an overhaul of the Records Management Division and streamlining projects like tickets and violations tracking. She has recently been commander of the sensitive crimes unit and often has acted as an MPD spokesperson.

Edman has a Master's degree in public administration from UW-Oshkosh and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from UW-Milwaukee. A graduate of Hamilton High School, she is married and lives on Milwaukee's southwest side.

Edman ran for office herself in a special election for alderman in 2002, narrowly losing to Joe Dudzik, who was reelected without opposition last year.

The executive director's post has been vacant since the resignation of Lisa Artison in March. Sharon Robinson, Barrett's director of the Dept. of Administration, has served as interim director.