Fred Sherman currently serves as the Johnson County, Kansas Election Commissioner, a position to which he was appointed by Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab and sworn in on January 27, 2021. He had previously served as Deputy Election Security Commissioner beginning in early 2020, working alongside his predecessor to help administer the unprecedented 2020 primary and general elections amid the COVID‑19 pandemic.
With over 25 years of municipal and county government experience, Fred brings expertise in planning, city administration, finance, and public management. Before joining the Johnson County Election Office, he held key public sector roles including Chief Administrative Officer / City Clerk for Westwood, Kansas, and Community Development Director for Gardner, Kansas. Earlier in his career, he worked as a city planner for Overland Park, Lawrence, Olathe, and Miami County.
Sherman's professional credentials include the Certified Election and Registration Administrator (CERA) designation, the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) designation, and previously the Credentialed Manager (CM) designation from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).
Fred Sherman was selected in 2024 by the Johnson County Bar Association to receive their Liberty Bell Award that honors non-lawyers who demonstrate exceptional service in promoting a deeper understanding of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, fostering respect for law and the courts, encouraging civic responsibility, supporting the effective functioning of government or enhancing awareness of the rule of law. This award highlights Sherman's dedication and service to the community through his work in the Johnson County Election Office.
Fred earned a Masters of City Planning degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of General Studies from the University of Kansas where he majored in Geography and Economics.
Connie Schmidt, CMC, CERA was reappointed as Election Commissioner for Johnson County, Kansas on March 12, 2020. She previously served in that capacity from September 1995 to November 2004.
With over 30 years working in local government, Schmidt brought extensive experience to oversee the county’s election administration during the complex 2020 Presidential election cycle, earning the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion Award in January 2021 for her exceptional leadership.
Since 2005, Schmidt has owned and operated an election consulting business, providing expert services to numerous local and state election agencies as well as to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). She co-managed the development of the EAC’s Election Management Guidelines and Quick Start Guides and was the principal consultant for the EAC’s Successful Practices in Poll Worker Recruitment, Training, and Retention Guidebook.
At the national level, Schmidt has served as chair of the Professional Education Certification Board for The Election Center and as a member of the The National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) Voting Systems Standards Board. At the state level, she contributed to the Kansas Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Implementation Committee and has remained a leading voice in election education and reform.
Her distinguished career includes receiving The Election Center’s Inc. Lifetime Membership Award (2005) and Election Hall of Fame Award (2007), reflecting her long-standing dedication to election integrity, innovation, and voter outreach.
Ronnie Metsker served as Election Commissioner for Johnson County, Kansas from February 2016 to December 2019. Appointed by Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, Metsker brought to the role a strong background in public service and political leadership, including prior experience as a Kansas State Representative and long-time Chair of the Johnson County Republican Party.
Metsker served in the Kansas House of Representatives, 24th District, 2006-2008. He was elected Chairman of Johnson County Republican Party in 2008; re-elected Chairman by acclamation in 2010, 2012 and 2014.
During his tenure as Election Commissioner Metsker oversaw several significant advancements in election operations and technology with the Johnson County Election Office. He served during the implementation of a new $10.5 million upgrade to Johnson County’s voting systems that included voting machines with voter-verifiable paper audit trails. During his administration the Johnson County Election Office also implemented an electronic poll book check-in system, aimed at improving election accuracy and the overall voter experience.
Metsker’s time as commissioner coincided with historic voter turnout levels and increasing public scrutiny of election processes. After initial delays in reporting results during the 2016 and 2018 elections, he worked closely with vendors and state partners to ensure improvements in vote tabulation systems and transparency.
Ronnie Metsker’s tenure as Election Commissioner marked a period of transformation and innovation in Johnson County, reflecting his broader dedication to public leadership and democratic participation.
Brian Newby served as the Johnson County, Kansas Election Commissioner from January 2005 until November 2015.
Brian D. Newby's professional career includes election administration positions at the local, state, and federal levels, as well as over two decades in the private telecommunications sector.
A Kansas City, Missouri native, Newby earned both his bachelor’s degree in communications (public relations emphasis) and a master’s degree in public administration (policy and planning emphasis) from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Newby began his professional career at Sprint, where he worked for 20 years in leadership roles across operations, sales, public relations, marketing, business development, and strategic planning.
While working at Sprint, he was elected to the City of Shawnee (KS) City Council (2002–2005), where he chaired key committees and represented the city on regional development and infrastructure boards.
In 2005, Newby was appointed Johnson County Election Commissioner by Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh. He served in that role for 11 years. The Johnson County Election Office was nationally recognized for innovation, including voter engagement through text messaging and podcasting, and won awards from the Election Center and the Center for Digital Government during his tenure as commissioner.
In 2015, Newby was appointed Executive Director of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). During his four-year term he helped launch the Government Coordinating Council after elections were designated as critical infrastructure.
Following his EAC tenure, Newby served as Elections Director for the State of North Dakota (2019–2023), where he led the state through a successful presidential election cycle during the COVID-19 pandemic, implementing new voting systems and expanded vote-by-mail options.
Connie Schmidt served as the Johnson County, Kansas Election Commissioner from September 1995 to November 2004. Appointed by Secretary of State Ron Thornburgh on September 14, 1995 she had many years of local government work experiences in Johnson County, including her prior role as City Clerk for the City of Merriam, Kansas.
During her tenure, Schmidt led innovative initiatives that positioned Johnson County as a national leader in election administration. Her office was among the first to launch a voter information website (1996), post election results online, and offer online tools for voters to view sample ballots and polling locations. In 2000, the county pioneered satellite early voting locations and introduced internet-based voter registration status tools. Schmidt also guided the transition to modern election management software integrated with GIS technology, and implemented one of the earliest countywide touchscreen voting systems.
The Johnson County Election Office earned numerous national awards under her leadership, including multiple National Association of Counties (NACo) Achievement Awards, the Government Technology “Best of the Web,” National Association of County Information Officers (NACIO) and National Association of County Recorders, Election Officials and Treasurers (NACRC) recognitions, and honors from The Election Center Inc. Schmidt also established civic education programs such as “Celebrate the Vote” and “Celebration of Patriotism,” which received national acclaim.
Schmidt’s professional credentials include Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) and Certified Election and Registration Administrator (CERA) designations. She chaired the Professional Education Certification Board for The Election Center and served on the NASED Voting Systems Standards Board. At the state level, she was a member of the Kansas HAVA Implementation Committee. In December 2004, she was awarded the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) Medallion Award for outstanding service to American democracy. In August 2005 she received a Lifetime Membership Award from The Election Center, Inc., and in August 2007 she received the Election Hall of Fame Award from the Election Center, Inc.
Marvin E. Rainey was appointed by Governor George Docking as Johnson County Election Commissioner in 1958. He was elected as the second Mayor of Overland Park in 1963, and re-elected in 1965. While Mayor he served as President of the Council of Mayors of Northeast Johnson County. He later served as President of the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce in 1970. His civic activities included the Johnson County Jaycees, service as Vice President of the Johnson County Sports Authority, and President of the Johnson County Community College Foundation. He served as the City Attorney of Shawnee, Kansas following his appointment in 1974. He was the very proud recipient of the 2012 International Municipal Lawyer Association Mulligan Distinguished Public Service Award.
Marvin was raised on a farm homestead outside Albany, Missouri, and graduated from the original Shawnee Mission High School. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science and a Law degree from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. In 1959 he was licensed to practice law in the Kansas state and federal courts, in 1983 the Tenth Circuit United States Court of Appeals, and in 1993, the United States Supreme Court.