Before serving in the Legislature, Zemke worked as an engineer in the aerospace, defense and automotive fields. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the College of Engineering at Michigan State University. Zemke has served on the Dexter Township Public Safety Advisory Committee, the city of Ann Arbor’s Housing and Human Services Advisory Board and the Washtenaw County Community Action Board.

A fifth-generation Washtenaw County resident, Zemke graduated from Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor and lived in the community his entire life.