Keen files for commissioner seat
By Matthew Whittle
Published in News on February 24, 2008 2:17 AM
Steve Keen, a local property developer and former owner of Adam's Auto Wash in Goldsboro and Greenville, has decided to throw his hat into the ring and run for the Republican nomination for the Wayne County Board of Commissioners District 4 seat.
Also vying for the position being vacated by Republican Efton Sager is Democrat Denny Tart.
Keen, 55 and a resident of the Rosewood community for the last 30 years, said that he decided to run in order to bring his experience as a businessman to the board.
Currently, he sits on the Wayne County Planning Board and the local Board of Directors for the Little Bank. He also spent four years in the U.S. Navy, receiving an honorable discharge as a operations specialist third class.
Concerned about business growth, infrastructure and education, he explained that he plans to focus his attention and efforts on public school needs, comprehensive land use planning, agriculture, and business and industry recruitment.
"Wayne County is big business, with a population of approximately 113,850 residents covering an area of 557 square miles," he said. "We must be determined and persistent in encouraging, yet effectively managing, growth in the county.
"The board of commissioners has a responsibility to serve the residents of Wayne County, while providing the very best quality of life for those who live and visit here."
And that, he continued, is a big responsibility -- but one that he's looking forward to assuming.
"I have been in the service industry for 28 years and I know what it takes to serve the public," Keen said.
But just as important, he noted, he now has the time to fully commit to the position.
"It's not a 10-hour-a-week job," he said. "I can bring to the board of commissioners unlimited and unrestricted time with a servant's heart."
"Representing District 4 on the board would be a true honor."