By Mary Perham
BATH – When Steuben County Manager Jack Wheeler first sat at his desk as deputy county administrator some 10 years ago, his first impression was a heightened awareness of the wide-ranging scope of services provided by the county to its 100,000 residents. "I had a sense of being overwhelmed," said Wheeler, now completing his third year as county manager after the retirement of county Manager Mark Alger. "The sheer responsibility of what we do here was kind of surprise to me."
Wheeler had a solid background in public service before joining the county in May 2008. A Bath native and the son of two administrators at the Bath VA, he graduated from SUNY Geneseo with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. After graduating with a master’s degree in public administration from James Madison University, in Harrisonburg, Va., he worked in research, analysis and developing administrative policies in the public and private sectors. And in Steuben County, Wheeler found his niche. As Steuben’s chief civil executive, Wheeler is appointed by the county Legislature, and implements that board’s local laws, actions and resolutions. As manager, he has daily oversight and management of county operations, including its 32 departments and approximately 1,000 staff persons. He also serves as the county’s budget officer, developing and managing a $180 million annual budget. "We are very fortunate to have Jack as our county manager," said county Legislature Chairman Joe Hauryski, R-Campbell. "He has excelled in every aspect of the job and most importantly he has the county on a solid financial track. He is just great to work with." Managing the budget means being in the unenviable position of making tough decisions, Wheeler said, calling working with the county Legislature to sell the county health care facility the greatest challenge of his 10-year career. "We did a good job running it," he said. "But the state made it impossible. They didn’t keep their promises of increased reimbursement, which put us in a financial hole we couldn’t get out of." Dealing with a state unable to separate large urban requirements from Steuben’s rural needs is a never-ending challenge, Wheeler said. Yet Wheeler has the ability to make Steuben’s 32 departmental teams and dozens of related agencies work well, according to county Clerk of the Legislature Brenda Mori. "Jack is a natural leader with the innate ability to bring everyone together to work on a common goal, which is doing what is best for the residents of this county," she said. Wheeler said the most fulfilling aspect of his job is working with the talented and dedicated legislators, department heads, and staff. This teamwork allows the county to focus on the local needs, such as roads, and services to youth and seniors alike. Those essential local services will likely still be in place for years to come, he said.
"What I am proudest of, what I will say is, I think we are very good at what we can control," Wheeler said. "We are very lucky with our legislators and staff. They are the ones that make this organization so highly effective. What we do, we do very well, and with the rest of the stuff that is out of our control, well, we’ll find a way to deal with it."