Photo by Ray Lavoie
Kenneth Wilson has an eye for growth, and he’s seen a lot since coming to Grove City.
“Grove City has developed quite a bit,” he says. “I was here before the Pinnacle and some of the other subdivisions were ever thought of. It’s amazing. When I first moved to Grove City, Buckeye Parkway wasn’t fully connected from Stringtown to Borror Road.”
Grove City exemplifies the strength of Franklin County for Wilson. He says that a good mixture of transplants and long-time residents in the city creates the potential for sustainable growth.
Wilson highlights the mixed-use developments, 2019 opening of Mount Carmel Grove City and close proximity to Interstate 71 as providing a variety of jobs in the community. He also expects further growth at the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, where he previously served as chairperson.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of development there, particularly in the green energy space, leveraging the land around SWACO,” Wilson says.
Michigan Roots
Wilson grew up in Muskegon, Michigan. He describes it as a relatively small town, much like Grove City but with a more industrial history when he lived there. Located next to Lake Michigan, the city provided plenty of outdoor recreation opportunities.
Although he was accepted into the Thurgood Marshall School of Law in Houston, Wilson took his college adviser’s suggestion to get a master’s degree in public administration before pursuing the law degree.
That led him to Ohio University, where Wilson experienced a bit of culture shock.
“You look at the area, ‘OK, this is different,’” he says. “It’s in Appalachia. It’s much different than Michigan State. Forty-odd thousand students (at MSU), but (OU) was about a fourth of the size at that time.”
Despite the shift, Wilson accepted a graduate research fellowship from OU to spend two years earning a master’s degree there. As part of his field experience, he arrived in Columbus for an internship at the Ohio Senate and became involved with the state budget process, Medicaid policy and the deregulation of the state’s electric industry.
“Public finance has been a centerpiece of my public service,” he says.
A County Liaison
Wilson made the jump to county government as director of the Franklin County Office of Management and Budget in 2005. He was a natural fit for the role. He moved up to deputy county administrator for resource management in 2010 before being promoted to his current role.
Wilson acts as a liaison between county elected officials and courts on budgetary and operational matters. He works on economic development initiatives with cities such as Whitehall, Gahanna and Grove City. He also takes on issues related to general infrastructure and workforce development.
“There’s no typical day,” he says. “You don’t get a general eight-to-five (shift). Doesn’t work that way. … You don’t turn your phone off. I’m on call all the time.”
The days became even less predictable when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020.
“The pandemic caused us to redesign our operation internally and externally,” he says. “We couldn’t close because we’re the primary services.”
Wilson never imagined he would spend so much time scouring the country for personal protective equipment such as face shields, masks and disinfecting wipes. It was just one of the rapid changes he and his staff had to adapt to.
“Externally, we needed to provide various emergency financial assistance to residents who, through no fault of their own, were laid off,” he says. “It also woke us up to the fact that we need to invest more in public health and we need to pay more attention too. Not only are we dealing with COVID-19, we’re dealing with COVID-19 and its variants.”
To conduct county meetings virtually, Wilson worked closely with his information technology staff to quickly develop the necessary technology and procedures. Although Franklin County commissioners are now required to be present to vote in meetings, other county officials can still give presentations remotely.
An added benefit of the work by Wilson and his team: County residents can now watch the meetings online.
“It has increased the level of public engagement because people have easier access than they ever have before,” he says.
At Home in Grove City
Beyond growth and development, Wilson finds plenty to love about Grove City.
Like many others, he appreciates the city’s small-town feel even as the population expands. The historic Town Center stands out in particular as it plays host to an array of events throughout the year, Arts in the Alley Music and Arts Festival being a particular highlight. The short commute from small town feel to his office downtown doesn’t hurt the appeal either.
“I think there are a lot of things that provide a high quality of life here in Grove City,” he says.
Grove City provides a respite from the challenging work Wilson does downtown, he says. When he does get a break, he values the opportunity to spend time with family.
Wilson lives with his wife DeShawna and has two daughters – Kala, 27, and Kamya, 18 – who graduated from Grove City High School. Kala is working toward a doctorate in public health at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte while Kamya is in her first year at Xavier University where she is studying biology.
Brandon Klein is the senior editor. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
