Dane County Executive Melissa Agard was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin and is a graduate of East High School and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A lifelong Madison resident, Melissa is a proud mom to four sons and lives on Madison’s Northside.

A former small business owner and Dane County Board Supervisor, Agard was first elected to the State Assembly in November 2012, and served five terms in the Wisconsin State Legislature. She was elected to the State Senate in November 2020 and was chosen unanimously by her colleagues to serve as Senate Democratic Leader in November 2022.

County Executive Agard has a long track record as a strong progressive voice in our community. During her tenure in office, Agard has introduced legislation to increase wages, provide health care access for all Wisconsinites, and create equity in our communities. She also worked in a bipartisan manner to get many pieces of pragmatic legislation passed during her time in the legislature.

Melissa was elected as Dane County Executive in November 2024.

Dane County is the second largest county in the state and has the highest private sector job and population growth in Wisconsin. The County Executive is excited to be serving the 600,000 people who call Dane County home.