Don E. Wilson is seeking to become the Democratic Party’s candidate for presiding commissioner in the Tuesday’s primary election. Wilson hopes to bring new ideas to the county commission, using his work experience to improve roads and reduce road, bridge, and other county maintenance costs. He would also like to increase public participation in the decision-making process of the commission.

At age 63, Wilson brings a hard-working attitude that he has developed through years of work as a contractor in Phelps County. Wilson graduated from Newburg High School in 1964 before starting his 37 years of work experience as a contractor, working on bridges, roads, and other projects throughout the county.

“I have worked as a consultant in Phelps and Maries counties for low-water bridges. I’ve done a lot of building commercial work,” Wilson explained. He has also served on the board of the Rolla Area Sheltered Workshop, creating jobs in the county.

Wilson said he is seeking office because he wants “to make Phleps County a better place for our kids and grandkids. I want to give back to Phelps County. When you walk through the front doors of the courthouse, I want it to feel like walking into your own home.”

He added that he wants to get the county involved with decisions. It is his opinion that the more information that is given by the public, the more informed the commission will be when it is time to make a decision. He would also like to keep local contractors during construction projects in the county, creating more jobs and opportunities.

At 18, Wilson worked as foreman for Peabody Coal. “I decided to learn everything that I could to run every piece of equipment.” He decided that he wanted to do something for himself, starting his own contractor business. “I started a business down here. I had a lot of word-of-mouth out of the bakery. I started with one guy and kept going.” Thirty-seven years later, he is still working around the county to improve how things are done. He is hoping to use this knowledge to keep construction costs down while still improving the roads and bridges of the county.

Wilson and his wife, Kathy, have two sons and three granddaughters. If elected, he wants to continue improving the budget, create new jobs by utilizing local workers in the county, and bring new ideas to the county commission through his work experience. He hopes to give back to the area that has given him so many opportunities and make it a place where more people will have the same opportunities as he has.