Photo by Amanda DePerro
If you ask Dublin transplants about why they originally moved to the City, you’ll get a plethora of answers.
Among them are common answers that relate to the excellent public school district, the beautiful green spaces and the wonderful atmosphere in which to raise or start a family. If you ask why those people have stayed in Dublin, you’re likely to get a different answer: the people.
Gene Oliver’s parents, Charles and Mary, moved to Dublin from Jackson, Ohio in 1946, nine years before Oliver was born. Charles and Mary would end up having seven sons, including Oliver, and two daughters. Oliver says the key values he learned through growing up in Dublin were the importance of community, education and caring for your neighbors – values he was taught by example through Dublin’s residents.
The character and values of the community are every bit as prevalent as they were when we moved here, and when I grew up.
When Oliver was 10, his father passed away. With nine children to support, his mother faced financial hardship. However, Oliver says his family was fortunate to receive support from the community. He was a part of the first class to graduate from Dublin High School in 1973, and was awarded a Kiwanis scholarship to attend The Ohio State University.
“It didn’t sound like it was a lot of money; it was 400 bucks,” says Oliver. “But in ’73, that was a quarter at OSU. That was a really big deal.”
Though he enjoyed performing music, he knew he didn’t want to make a profession out of it. While getting his MBA, Oliver took particular interest in a programming class, and decided to take the rest of the undergraduate classes offered in the subject. In 1984, he was hired at OCLC to do coding consulting, and he remained at the company until he retired as vice president after 31 years.
During that time, he moved to Powell and had two daughters, Anna, 19, and Sarah, 23.
Photo courtesy of Gene Oliver
In his spare time, Oliver enjoys traveling with his daughters. Over the summer, the trio visited Yellowstone National Park
Though he lived in Powell for more than 20 years, he always stayed connected to Dublin, and continued to give back to the community that had supported him so much.
He received a President’s Award from the Dublin Chamber of Commerce in 2012 for his donated work bringing the chamber’s technology and online presence into the future. He is still a board member of
the Chamber, and is part of the Dublin A.M. Rotary and Dublin Education Foundation. Oliver says staying connected to the community, even when he wasn’t living in Dublin, has always been important to him.
“It’s that community service element, but it’s also getting to meet new people that provides this rich body of evidence of the character and values of the community,” says Oliver. “It’s a way to stay engaged with the community and give back.”
Oliver made waves in his own life in 2015 by moving back to Dublin and taking up residence as vice president of IT and CIO of HKT Teleservices. He stayed at HKT for two years, then made the move from HKT to the city of Worthington as IT director in August. However, the job change won’t mean a residence change for Oliver, as he has enjoyed being back in the City in which he was born.
Everybody is friendly. We’ve got a great neighborhood and a great set of neighbors, and for me, it has that same feel.
He runs and bicycles along Dublin’s bike paths many times each week, and enjoys all of Dublin’s offerings in entertainment, food and shopping. Oliver says that being back in Dublin has proven to him that the City’s values haven’t changed, despite the many aesthetic and changes the City has seen throughout the years.
“There was a focus on education, a focus on being a part of the community, a focus on looking out for each other and taking care of each other,” he says. “The character and values of the community are every bit as prevalent as they were when we moved here, and when I grew up.”
Oliver is glad to have both of his daughters close by; his younger daughter is living with him while she attends Columbus State Community College. He and Anna also share residence with their two canine roommates, Mitzi and Marvin. Being back in Dublin, for Oliver, has reaffirmed his love for the community.
“Certainly, the façade is changing; the new development. But I think the character is still here. I think people moved here for a lot of the same basic reasons, and I think those reasons are as valid today as they were 100 years ago,” he says. “Everybody is friendly. We’ve got a great neighborhood and a great set of neighbors, and for me, it has that same feel.”
Amanda DePerro is an assistant editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
