He knew he didn't want to work in the private sector.

He considers the environment too competitive, where results of his work wouldn't be evident.

"At first I knew I wanted to go public. I wanted to work in the public sector," said Matt Sandy, 23, the new assistant planner with the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission.

He said his position with the county APC allows him to see the results of his work. "In a big corporation," he said, "you don't get to see (the impact of) what you're doing."

Sandy is a 1994 graduate of LaPorte High School. A December 1998 graduate of Indiana University, he received a degree in public affairs management through the school of public and environmental affairs. He began working with the Kosciusko County's plan commission in late February, commuting from LaPorte.

"Matt's come in as our assistant planner. We're glad to have him. His school background and his experiences will help us a lot," said APC Director Dan Richard.

As assistant planner, Sandy said he deals with flood zone issues and drainage problems. He oversees sign permits and attends the Syracuse Board of Zoning Appeals.

"As I'm going along, I'm picking up more of the responsibilities," he said.

Richard said Sandy will work on updates on the comprehensive plan, help revise zoning ordinances and help create an erosion control ordinance.

"Updating our ordinances will be a really big operation," Richard said.

And Sandy doesn't mind the added work, he said, because he's enjoying his new occupation.

"I like it. It's a good experience. The office is willing to help one another," he said.

In fact, he said, he likes working with the county APC so much he plans to stay around at least three to five years, depending partially on his girlfriend, Kris Streb, an IU graduate from New Jersey. "We're not going to pull each other from a job. We know we're both just starting off," he said.

He finds other important issues to think about for now, though, and sees his duties as a small part of the big picture of what the plan commission is about.

"I think guidance is one of the big things, helping people to understand what the purpose of (the APC) is," he said.

He said the APC must constantly work to maintain a balance between preservation and growth.

"You don't want to stay perfectly the same because the world is changing, but you want to help Kosciusko County stay the same too, to keep its uniqueness," Sandy said.

And then there's the efforts of keeping everyone in the county happy.

"It's not easy," he said. "That's just saying from what I've seen the last three months."

For the future of the county, Sandy said, it's important for the APC to know where the county is heading and to work with the cities in Kosciusko County.

One concern people have in the county, he said, is the future of farmland vs. development.

"There has to be a balance. If you take away all the farmland, there's no crops. If you don't bring in the people, what about the economy?"

As Sandy gains more experience, he is learning more every day about keeping that balance, he said. "No matter what you know, you're always learning."

One thing he has learned, he said, is little personal traits about himself.

"I always said my public speaking skills were the worst. Everyone says that about themselves. That's one thing I'm learning more of, I'm becoming more confident in my public speaking skills," he said.

On those days when he's not working, not worrying about his public speaking and not commuting, Sandy can be found outside.

He enjoys biking and hiking and spending time with his girlfriend and family.

An only child, Sandy said, his parents are like any parents.

"They're proud. They're parents. Their feeling is whatever makes me happy, makes them happy."

And happy he appears to be. [[In-content Ad]]