Faces
By Brandon Klein
A County Leader’s Home K
enneth 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.” Wilson doesn’t just have eyes for Grove City, but for the entire region. Since 2015, he’s worked as county administrator for Franklin County, the highest unelected post in county government. Through that role, he leads 13 agencies and more than 1,400 employees with an annual operating budget of $1.5 billion to serve the county’s 1.3 million people. 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 8 January/February 2022
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. While studying American public affairs and metropolitan studies at the James Madison College at Michigan State University, he began to gravitate toward public administration and public policy and was soon drawn to attend law school. 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. Fortywww.DiscoverGroveCity.com
Photos by Ray LaVoie Phtography
Resident leads Franklin County government
