Kirk Zilke is a family man, lifelong St. Cloud resident and a candidate for St. Cloud City Council, Seat 5. Having moved to St. Cloud in 1977, Kirk has deep roots in the community, attended local schools and graduated from St. Cloud High School in 1987.
Over the course of nearly 35 years, Kirk worked his way through the ranks of the City of St. Cloud Police Department to Deputy Chief, serving the city with distinction until his retirement on December 31, 2025.
Throughout his law enforcement career, Kirk held numerous leadership and specialized roles, including patrol supervision, traffic enforcement, traffic homicide investigation, and command of the city’s first street crimes unit and emergency services unit. As Captain and later Deputy Chief, he oversaw patrol operations, special operations, criminal investigations, intelligence units, drone operations, SWAT, marine patrol, school resource officers, and community outreach. He also served as a high-risk incident commander, leading critical incidents requiring rapid, responsible decision making.
Kirk played a key role in modernizing the department by leading major projects such as the acquisition of mobile command vehicles, securing cost effective safety equipment for officers, and implementing the city’s first real time crime and intelligence center.
Kirk and his wife, Nadine, also a 25-year City of St. Cloud Police Department employee, raised their daughter Tabitha in their hometown. Tabitha is now a successful teacher for the Osceola County School District.
In addition to public service, Kirk is a licensed HVAC contractor and small business owner. His company has consistently given back to the community by sponsoring local events, charitable fundraisers, and law enforcement initiatives.
Kirk is deeply committed to community service. He actively supports and sponsors local charitable events and proudly participates each year as Santa Claus for We Care To Dare event and was a volunteer basketball coach for the Ron Riley basketball league for six years.
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