“Unexpected events can set you back or set you up. It’s all a matter of perspective.”
-Mary Anne Rademacher
Much like running a home, something comes up daily that needs to be repaired,
adjusted, replaced, or monitored in order to function correctly. At the helm of the buildings and
grounds upkeep is Mr. Wesley Wilson, Maintenance Supervisor. Mr. Wilson works tirelessly,
often outside of his regular full-time hours, to check on buildings, equipment, sidewalks, ramps,
and even underground utilities. Because of his willingness to work beyond his assigned duties,
Licking R-VIII School District is proud to recognize Mr. Wilson as February Spotlight Staff
Member!
Mr. Wilson started his construction career in 2000 as a laborer. Raised in Edgar Springs, Mr.
Wilson worked hard to earn his GED in 2007 and remained in construction full time until 2012.
Capable of performing complex carpentry work, concrete work, and countless other handyman tasks, Mr. Wilson joined the Licking Maintenance Team where he immediately applied his skills. Mr. Wilson shared that he learned a lot from on the job training building residential houses whileworking for Mr. Jerry Jurgensmeyer. When his brother started his own construction company, he went to work for him. He continued to work side by side with two of his brothers until he ended his construction career in 2012.
Mr. Wilson shared that several family members have worked within the public-school system, and their encouragement led him to apply for a position within the Licking R-VIII School District. Seeking to tackle long term goals of retirement savings, steady income, a rewarding career, and more hours for family time, Mr. Wilson settled in with a great custodial and maintenance team. “I was away from home all the time and wasn’t seeing my wife and children during the hours they were awake, and I was picking up some unhealthy habits. I needed to turn that around,” said Mr. Wilson. And create a successful change for his family and himself, he did. "The opportunity at the Licking R-VIII School District has been a true blessing for me and my family" said Mr. Wilson.
Now lovingly referred to as the “Chaos Coordinator”, Mr. Wilson’s name can be heard over
walkie-talkie radios throughout the day. Mr. Wilson describes the most challenging part of his
day as establishing a plan for his work, then setting that aside to address daily calls, responding to emergencies, covering staff absences, meeting drop-in contractors, and repairing broken equipment. Mr. Wilson was quick to point out the positive, though. “This is really a satisfying service. I’m able to help so many people in a day’s time. What I do impacts hundreds of children and staff members, and I’m proud that I can be relied on to be the name people call in case of emergencies,” Mr. Wilson reflected. Although it would be easy to get frustrated or angry, “As a supervisor, I’m coordinating what needs to be done in a short amount of time and working hard to create a fair and honest working environment for each member of our team. Sometimes I stop and think, “Can I do for everyone what I’m doing for this one person?” Mr. Wilson shared.
Mr. Wilson has been married to Mrs. Raylene Wilson for nearly 16 years. He is the proud
father of Abbi and Alli, now age 15. Mr. Wilson can often be heard talking with pride about his
family. “Both of my girls are into farm life and hunting. Abbi really enjoyed playing basketball at
Salem last year but chose to focus on her academics this year. Alli is very focused on her
dancing as well as her academics.
Mr. Wilson is the son of Pam Robinson and Ewell (Butch) Wilson, and shared that his
stepfather, Bob Robinson was instrumental in raising him. Mr. Robinson retired from
Intercounty, and Mr. Ewell (Butch) Wilson worked in the construction field and worked several
years as a mechanics teacher at Rolla Technical Institute, and still has a relationship with
several previous students. Wesley Wilson is an active member of Abounding Hope Baptist
Church in Licking. “Being a part of our church family has been a big contributing factor in
making everything better in life,” Mr. Wilson responded. Licking R-VIII School District is proud
to have Mr. Wesley Wilson as part of the district’s leadership team and to celebrate his
accomplishments as this month’s Spotlight Staff Member.