JACKSON LOSING CITY LEADER AND 'FRIEND'

JACKSON, Mo. -- The fastest growing city in Southeast Missouri is losing its top administrator.

Steve Wilson, who 6 1/2 years ago became only the second city administrator in Jackson's history, is resigning to take an administrative position with the state Department of Conservation in Clinton, Mo.

Wilson notified Mayor Paul Sander and the Jackson Board of Aldermen of his decision during Monday's board study session. The announcement shocked everyone.

"I was kind of shocked too," Wilson said. "It happened quickly. But I am confident I made the right decision."

Wilson, 47, said the job offer came about in the past month through contacts in the Department of Conservation. He worked for the department for 16 years before becoming city administrator.

Neither the desire to make more money nor unhappiness with his current situation were factors in his decision, he said. "Quite the contrary. I view my whole experience here as a great honor. I was privileged to have the support of the mayor and the boards and a dedicated staff."

Sander said Wilson is well respected as a representative for the city and is particularly adept at working with people. "It will be hard to replace him with someone of his level," said the mayor.

Wilson's last day of work will be July 13. If the city administrator's position is filled from within the city staff, his replacement could be on the job by then, Sander said. A search for a new administrator would take longer.

Sander said the city employs two staffers who are qualified to take over the job: assistant city administrator Larry Koenig and public works director Jim Roach. Koenig said he is happy in his current position and will not apply for the job. Roach has told Sander he is interested in the position.

The pay range for the city administrator's job is from about $55,000 to nearly $70,000.

Stability important

Sander said stability in the city administrator position has benefited the city. Wilson's predecessor, Carl Talley, was the city administrator for 30 years. Sander said because he and the board want to hire someone who expects to make Jackson their home for a long time, they may be more inclined to hire from within rather than bring in someone from outside.

He has a fear of hiring from outside. "There is a history of towns turning over administrators lots of times," he said.

Wilson will become West Central Region protection supervisor for the Department of Conservation. He will be responsible for supervising 25 protection agents in 13 counties. The region encompasses the Lake of the Ozarks.

The agents' job is to enforce wildlife laws, conduct hunter-education and outdoors-skills programs and to work with private landowners to develop wildlife habitat. Sander said Wilson has always had a strong interest in law enforcement.

Wilson's wife, Marci, works for Bent Creek Golf Course. Their son Travis, 21, is a student at the University of Missouri at Columbia, and their 18-year-old son Michael begins studies there in the fall. Both sons were born in Jackson and attended Jackson schools.

Living 100 miles from their sons instead of 250 miles away is one reason the move to Clinton made sense, Wilson said. "I feel this will be in my best interest and my family's best interest," he said.

Clinton is located between Springfield and Kansas City. The town is slightly smaller than Jackson. It is on Truman Lake. Wilson is an avid hunter and fisherman.

Wilson and his wife have lived longer in Jackson -- since 1979 -- than anywhere else. Her parents, Noris and Margaret Greer, live in Jackson. Their ties to Jackson will remain strong, he said.

Sander said Wilson leaves having begun a number of infrastructure improvements -- in water, sewage and utilities -- critical to keep up with the city's rapid growth. "They are manageable because they are under way," he said.

Wilson and the board worked so well together that they became close friends, Sander said.

"It's tough to see a good friend move away. It's probably harder to lose him as a friend than as a city administrator," he said.