Former Parks and Recreation director joins city council

VANDALIA, OH — Over the years, Councilmember Steve Clark has worn a number of uniforms, from his college baseball jersey and Aviators coaching hat to the many more proverbial hats he balanced as Parks and Recreation director.

Yet after 20 years of service in that role and just over one year of retirement, Clark said he never expected to take on the role of councilmember. With decades of experience in city leadership and a passion for teamwork and transparency, however, Clark applied to fill the recent vacancy opened by Corey Follick’s departure, stepping up to the plate in a very different way. Even so, his experience in his prior position has already proved an asset.

“It's still early, but I do believe that the other members of council feel that I bring that perspective from being on the other side of the dais,” Clark said. “For myself, coming in, I really want to get the feel for how things operate from the council side.”

That doesn’t mean Clark is without goals. While at present, the councilmember will only be finishing Follick’s term, which was set to last until the end of 2027, Clark mentioned his hope to recommit the city to its biggest priorities.

As a retiree, Clark said he is already using his excess time to research and listen to community needs, and named utility rates and the upcoming Public Works facility construction as major projects to keep top of mind.

At the same time, he also hopes to maintain and increase the city’s commitment to transparency and integrity, two virtues he said are important to him personally as well.

“I think city council and the city of Vandalia do a fabulous job with that,” Clark said. “But I just think it needs to be on the forefront of everything we do…. you know, my goals are so the residents feel like they can trust city council with the future of Vandalia.”

After falling in love with Vandalia nearly 40 years ago, Clark’s biggest hope is that people will see how much he and other city leaders truly care about the community they serve.

While it may be easy to vent online, he said he truly wished more residents would contact officials directly and make time for city meetings. Afterall, Clark’s just put his next uniform on, and he’s ready to make a difference as he rejoins the Vandalia team.