JACKSON BOARD READY TO INSTALL WILSON AS NEW ADMINSTRATOR

JACKSON -- The walls of Steve Wilson's office are almost empty.

There are a couple of plaques belonging to the city of Jackson, left by the room's former occupant, and a small calendar from a local bank.

Wilson hasn't had much time to make his mark on his office or his new position as city administrator, but things are about to change.

"I'm awed by the magnitude of this job," he said. "I'll have to make decisions that affect the lives of people who live in Jackson. Maybe I won't be so enamored once I get some dirt under my fingernails."

Former administrator Carl Talley chose to semi-retire after 24 years on the job. He will continue working for the city as a part-time consultant and adviser.

More than 100 applicants hoped to fill the position, and Mayor Paul Sander and the board of aldermen quickly narrowed the field to seven and then three.

Out of the final three, Wilson was the only Jackson resident. He said it wasn't where he lived that won him the job.

"The board didn't want a transient person, and I think they liked my loyalty," Wilson said. "My goal is to be city administrator of Jackson until I retire."

Wilson and his wife, Marci, moved to Missouri from Washington, D.C., on Jan. 3, 1979, after he accepted a job with the Missouri Department of Conservation. He had worked for the National Rifle Association but wanted to move west.

The conservation job allowed Wilson to use his dual bachelor's degree in education and physical education. He and his wife eventually settled in Jackson, where they have two children, Travis, 14, and Michael, 12.

"The Conservation Department would have let me live anywhere in a 21-county region," Wilson said. "I started looking critically at several areas where I might like to raise my family. Jackson wasn't as large as it is now, but I could see it was where I wanted to live."

The new administrator credited the city's residents with its success, noting the people were willing to work hard and sacrifice to achieve community goals.

That was part of the reason Wilson switched careers, although he said his job with the Conservation Department was fulfilling.

Wilson was ready for administration, but moving up in the department meant a move to Jefferson City. He didn't want to leave Jackson and felt he gained a working knowledge of government while employed by the state.

He will be sworn into his new position Monday at 7:30 p.m. at Jackson City Hall. But Wilson's work already has started. He must acquaint himself with all of Jackson's boards and commissions. Next, he said, will come changes in employee structure.

"I'm not making any first 100-day promises, but I would like to have a structure I'm comfortable with in place by the first of the year," Wilson said. "Everyone employed by the city needs to know what his duties are, who he reports to and when he reports to him."

Perhaps his biggest challenge will be overseeing Jackson's phenomenal growth. Almost monthly, the board of aldermen discuss plats for new subdivisions or rezoning in newly developed areas.

Good planning now can prevent problems later, Wilson said.

As for the board, everyone seems happy with the decision, according to Mayor Sander. While board members disagreed during the elimination process, they voted 8-0 to hire Wilson.

"Steve was a very dynamic interview," Sander said. "You could tell he was a doer. He didn't expect this to be a 40-hour-a-week job. He knows it's more, and he looks forward to that."

As for Wilson, he has certain philosophies he will hang onto during his employment as Jackson's chief administrator.

"I'm not afraid to work hard. I'm not afraid to tell the truth. And I'm not afraid to make tough decisions," he said.