SULLIVAN, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — The City of Sullivan will welcome a new Mayor, JD Wilson, to office in January after the current Mayor, Clint Lamb finishes his third term.
With no contested races in the City of Sullivan this year, Wilson says the city saved nearly $40,000 by not holding an election and he had the opportunity to start the transition process much sooner.
“Now it’s time for me to go forward come 1 January and really put my best foot forward and help Sullivan out,” Wilson said. “I look out these windows and I drive this community and I see how he’s (Mayor Clint Lamb) impacted it (the City of Sullivan) and we’re going to continue that.”
JD Wilson is a lifelong resident of Sullivan County. He’s a 1995 graduate of Sullivan High School. Following high school, Wilson joined the Army National Guard. He started working full-time for the National Guard as a supply technician in 2001 while preparing for his first deployment. Later that year he left for Bosnia and eventually spent an extended period in Iraq. While in the guard, Wilson earned his bachelor’s degree from Oakland City University in Human Resource Management.
After retiring from a 22-year military career, Wilson went to work at Sullivan’s Department of Public Works. Wilson currently serves as the Director.
He and his wife, Jamie, live in the City of Sullivan and have four children and one grandchild.
“It’s a blessing to be Mayor Elect for the City of Sullivan,” Wilson said. “I’m super honored and proud to be filling that role.”
Wilson said his experience working with the Board of Works has helped prepare him for his new role as mayor.
“Five years of working for the city as the Public Works Director has opened my eyes, has taught me a lot to look out for and be aware of and how I can make differences for each and every member of this community,” he said.
With no contested races in the city, Wilson has been getting his questions answered in a longer transition period.
“I’ve been in the current Mayor’s hip pocket, since that day, asking questions. The transition for a lot of newly elected officials has just been a few days. Mine’s been going on for several months now.”
Wilson said the current administration runs on a full plate and he will too, “That’s how I like to run, is with a full plate.”
On that full plate, “Housing is still going to stay one of the top priorities. It absolutely has to be. If you look at the state, housings talked about everywhere, the need of it,” he said.
Wilson said Sullivan residents will start seeing more progress toward that housing initiative, “Roughly 14-million-dollar housing investment to the community here. There are duplexes involved, there are townhomes involved. It’s a great add to the community. It’s going to be that little driving force, fill that void over there,” he said.
Wilson also mentioned continuing to beautify Sullivan and continuing to push toward efforts for a walkable, bikeable community through trail projects.
“We have a couple of approved INDOT trail, greenway systems, one going toward the Sullivan County Park and Lake, the other one a few years later that goes down to the Sullivan City Park. Those are absolutely still in place, and we’ll see those through.”
With an uncontested race, Wilson didn’t have to do a lot of campaigning and said he was eager to meet and talk to more residents through the process.
His message to the residents, “I’m for them,” Wilson said. I’m hardworking, loyal, dedicated. I’m going to put the hours in that’s needed to be put in and I’m committed to making Sullivan even better than what it is today,” he added.
