The Greene County Commission has announced the next member of the county's planning board. She is Amy Westermann, whose family has lived in the Willard area for generations.
Westermann will replace Dave Coonrod whose term will expire soon.
Commissioner Rusty MacLaclan said they wanted the new member to be from the northwest part of the county.
"And we looked around, and we found an attorney who was raised on a century farm, who owns a century farm, who runs cattle, who knows the area probably better than anybody else is on the historic sites board," he said. "We said what a great person that would be to add to our planning and zoning board, because she will bring something that has just been missing, honestly. And we like having that diversity of thought and opinion."
Dixon said nine people applied, but they wanted to be sure more parts of the county were represented on the board. They didn’t choose any of the applicants and, instead, reached out to Westermann who is a graduate of the St. Louis University School of Law.
"When the county commissioners approached me about filling the vacancy that's going to be occurring on the board, I was certainly shocked, honored. I'm deeply humbled by their confidence in my ability to be a contributing member of that board," she said. "I feel very strongly that it's important that all corners of the county have representation on the county boards. And I think that with my appointment, that will now be achieved."
Westermann will serve a three-year term.
