CANDIDATE PROFILES

The following three candidates are running for the only contested Ozark County position in the Aug. 2 Primary Election, that of presiding commissioner. 

The Times reached out to each candidate and asked for a photo and a 300-word profile to run in the newspaper prior to the election. These profiles are shown below in alphabetical order by the candidates’ last names.

Absentee voting is currently underway and continues through Aug. 1. In person absentee voting may be done at the Ozark

County Clerk’s Office in the courthouse on the Gainesville square.

On Election Day, polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.

See a sample ballot on page 13 of this week’s Times. 

For more information on polling locations or other local voting information, contact Ozark County Clerk Brian Wise at 417-679-3516.

Joe Corbin

I love Ozark County, and I want to pay it back because it has been good to me for many decades. This southwest Missourian has always been a conservative Republican. 

My professional civil engineering training and experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allowed me to become a resident engineer (lake manager) of a flood control lake in Missouri. Planning detailed budgets 5 years in advance was an experience which should help our county. 

I’ve always enjoyed planning improvements that enhance performance at the workplace. Successful managers surround themselves with wise, hard-working people. Some of my supervisors attended West Point Academy that provides Army officers an engineering degree. 

I received a civil engineering B.S. degree at the University of Missouri where I met my wife, the former Lou Arta Gaddy. She received a B.S. degree in education before we were married. Lou Arta was a Gainesville High valedictorian, and she is the mother of our three sons who have blessed us with eight grandchildren. She is the better half of our marriage and assists me with research. Together we made a successful application for a grant for a small city in Arkansas. 

My experience in flood control and construction included budgeting, planning, writing documents, operation and maintenance (O&M) of a dam and spillway, six parks, over 250 campsites, paved roads and supervision of ranges and O&M personnel that used heavy equipment. I was the contracting officer’s representative for a $10 million improvement of the dam and spillway. 

My goal for Ozark County is to obtain grants for technical training, law enforcement and durable county roads. After attending Ozark County Commissioners’ meetings, I saw a need for quality weekly meetings and monthly press releases that include the commissioners’ future plans. 

My motto is grants not taxes. 

God bless Ozark County. 

Terry Newton

I’m Terry Newton. 

I live in Dora with my wife of 42 years, Rhonda Lewis Newton. I graduated from Dora in 1976. I then attended East Central College in Union, Missouri, graduating with a degree in drafting and design. 

I worked in St. Louis and Hutchinson, Kansas, as a drafting technician before coming back to Ozark County. When Rhonda and I got married, we both worked at Baxter Lab. I worked in route sales for Ideal Bread and Frito Lay for over 15 years servicing a large portion of Ozark County. I then went to work as an agent for Shelter Insurance for the next 21 years, retiring this past December. 

I’ve always been a proponent of giving back any way you can. I’ve served on the finance committee at First Baptist Church of Willow Springs, Willow Springs Chamber of Commerce board, Mercy St. Francis Mtn. View board, a founding member of the Dora School Community Foundation Board, the Howell County 911 board for 15 years and am currently serving on the Southern Missouri Community Health Center board, as well as the finance and quality control committees. 

I am not coming into this with any preconceived ideas, set agenda or an axe to grind. I simply feel that sometimes different viewpoints or ideas are needed to deal with issues we are facing. Being a rural county, we sometimes need to look at things differently and think outside the box to make things work. If elected, I will be available and will always try to answer your questions but not always with the answers you want to hear. 

Ozark County is a wonderful place to live and raise a family, and I will do my best to keep it that way. Thank you for your support on Aug. 2. 

John Turner

I’ve lived in Ozark County 50-plus years and have a good understanding of the needs of the people here. I was married to the late Phyllis Gaulding Turner, and I have five children and 11 grandchildren. I attended Thornfield Elementary and graduated from Gainesville High School in 1972.

I have eight years of on-the-job experience as presiding commissioner, leading weekly meetings and working successfully with others to balance multimillion-dollar budgets. I’ve been involved with the creation of the new food pantry, improvements to the Tecumseh hill and many other projects. 

I also have 35-plus years combined experience as an Ozark County business owner and manager. In the past, I’ve worked in a supervisory capacity at Antler Package & Pizza and owned a gun shop on the square. I have a Class A CDL and possess a strong construction background as a heavy equipment operator. I’ve spread gravel, installed culverts and built parking lots around the county. 

The biggest challenge is always the creation of new jobs and attracting new business. Balancing a multimillion-dollar budget on limited funds is the second biggest challenge.

First and foremost, I have eight years of hands-on experience. I can walk into the office on Jan. 2 and start work immediately. I’ve developed strong working relationships with other commissioners, which has proven to be beneficial. My membership on a number of boards has given me the opportunity to become involved as an active voice for Ozark County. I currently serve on the SCOCOG board which handles our regional planning. Previously I served as a member of the Senior Center board and was instrumental in assisting them in selling their old building and improving the parking lot at their new location. Like many others, the presiding commissioner was tasked with providing assistance during the 1,000-year flood of 2017.