A job as administrative assistant at a power plant north of Great Bend prepared Sharon Omstead Box for her current role as Marion County Planning and Zoning director. She moved back to her hometown of Florence in 2013. Her mother, Connie Omstead, lives there.
“Working at the power plant was one of my favorite jobs,” Box said, “but I wanted to be close to family, so I moved back.”
After a short stint with Marion County Special Education Cooperative at OASIS in Florence, she was hired as assistant planning and zoning director. Emma Tajchman retired in September, and Box became interim director. She was hired fulltime in October.
As assistant director, Box, who keeps her professional name as Sharon Omstead, took numerous training classes offered by the state. Her duties are broad-based, including zoning, environmental health, and flood plain management.
“There is a lot more flood plain acreage in the county than most people realize,” she said.
She oversees private wastewater systems and inspects private water wells. She collects well samples upon request and tests them for contaminants in her office at 203 S. Third St. in Marion.
(Read more: HILLSBORO Star-Journal)