Marian admin, former Packer and now committee chairman: George Koonce talks plans for new Fond du Lac jail

FOND DU LAC – Plans for a new jail have been progressing this year.

The Fond du Lac County Jail Ad Hoc Committee was created in June to explore and discuss options for expanding and replacing the county’s 70-year-old jail.

Ahead of the Oct. 3 meeting, George Koonce was appointed as chairman of the committee . While he is senior vice president of university relations at Marian University and a former linebacker for the Green Bay Packers , his personal experiences will also be valuable to the process.

"I've seen firsthand the devastating impact of incarceration on families and communities," Koonce said in a news release from Marian University . "My own sibling has been incarcerated, and I've witnessed the toll it took on my mother's mental and physical health. This personal experience fuels my commitment to creating a more just and compassionate system."

He plans to uphold the importance of teamwork and collective effort he'd taken from his time in the NFL — including the locker-room mantra "every person matters every day," still resonates with him. His goals include making sure the diverse needs and the dignity of everyone are considered in the process.

More: Fond du Lac's Hardee's closed in September. Here are other spots to find breakfast sandwiches and more.

"Female inmates have specific privacy needs that must be addressed," he said. "Prioritizing fairness and inclusivity is at the core of our mission."

He encouraged the public to attend and voice their thoughts at the Oct. 3 and all future committee meetings. The most recent meeting, for instance, discussed a preliminary floor plan and staffing models.

The next meeting is Oct. 24, according to the meetings calendar on the Fond du Lac County website . They are typically at 1 p.m. in Room H of the City County Government Center, 160 S. Macy St.

More: Movie theater reopening and apple orchards among 6 Fond du Lac Streetwise stories you may have missed in September

Daphne Lemke is the Streetwise reporter for the Fond du Lac Reporter. Contact her at dlemke@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Fond du Lac Reporter: Marian admin, former Packer and now committee chairman: George Koonce talks plans for new Fond du Lac jail