Porter Kirkwood will become the first African-American to serve as district executive of the Sixth Judicial District, Administrative Judge Molly Fitzgerald said Friday.

Kirkwood, who has been a court attorney-referee in the district since 2017, will start in the new position next week. It’s the senior-most nonjudicial position in the district, which encompasses Broome, Chemung, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Madison, Otsego, Schuyler, Tioga and Tompkins counties.