Scott Wickens has lived in the Warsaw and Winona Lake area pretty much all of his life, and now he’s looking to serve his community by running in the Republican caucus for the Winona Lake Town Board Ward 5 seat.
He’s the second person to have filed for the position after Rick Swaim resigned effective Oct. 1. Paul Heaton filed Oct. 4.
Having never held elected office before, Wickens admitted he’s inexperienced as far as politics go, but he’s been watching what’s been going on with the town and town council.
“I have a servant’s heart and I want to help where I can,” he said Monday in a telephone interview from a Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) conference in Arkansas.
A Warsaw Community High School graduate, Wickens has worked the last 33 years at medical device companies, including DePuy-Synthes (now Johnson & Johnson MedTech).
Wickens said he enjoys the amenities of Winona Lake and has been involved in several organizations, tending to have leadership roles in those organizations.
He and his wife, Michele, are Northeast Indiana representatives for the CMA, overseeing five chapters. They also are charter members of the Warsaw chapter of the CMA. They attend two leadership conferences a year.
As for any issues in Winona Lake Wickens would like to address if elected to the board, he said, “I don’t expect to jump in and make any changes. I’m just a concerned citizen and I want to jump in and help where I can. I think it’s important to be fiscally responsible for the citizens of the town. I’m not sure government always operates that way.”
He and Michele have a grown daughter and two grandchildren.
The Republican caucus to replace Swaim is scheduled for 6 p.m. Oct. 21 at the Winona Lake Town Hall.
The next council person will be elected by secret ballot of the majority of the voting caucus members to fill the office vacancy. There are five precinct committee persons eligible to vote in the caucus: Travis Trump, Wayne 1; Kathleen Keirn, Wayne 2; Bruce Shaffner, Wayne 3; Lisa Sands, Wayne 4; and Joe Hawn, Wayne 10.
Candidates must reside in Winona Lake Ward 5 and be a Republican in good standing. Eligible candidates will be allowed a maximum of three minutes to address the voting caucus.
Declarations of candidacy for the town council seat are available at the office of Kosciusko County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 121 N. Lake St., Warsaw, and must be filed with Ragan no later than 6 p.m. Oct. 18. Ragan’s telephone number is 574-265-1430.