Meet Tammy Hicks from LCC Class of 2024
Tammy Hicks is a native Coshoctonian, raised outside West Lafayette in Oxford Township. Her mother’s family immigrated here from Italy, while her father’s family moved to Fresno from North Carolina. Hicks’ maternal great-grandparents ran a horse-drawn vegetable cart and later had Pash’s Liquor Store next to Linnet’s Flowers on the Square and her mother’s grandparents owned Sycks Bakery.
A 1988 graduate of Ridgewood, Hicks’ was in choir and Future Teacher’s of America. After graduation, she attended Ohio University and transferred to Kent State where she earned a bachelor’s in business administration with a degree in marketing. She worked in outside sales and retail management for Wal-Mart, working all over the Akron area. Hicks gradually moved closer to West Lafayette, as after the birth of her first child, she wanted to move home.
In 2004 she moved back to West Lafayette, close to where she grew up and remained there for 10 years. At that time, she worked part-time and remained at home with the first two children. In 2006 she entered into business with her brother, and his business partner, managing a Quizno’s franchise for three years. She returned to Wal-Mart, but when her third child was born, she began substitute teaching and considered getting her master’s so she could teach full-time. In 2015 she worked for Skyline Homes in Sugarcreek in sales, and from 2018-2021, she was unemployed during the pandemic. She would help her brother with his small businesses and worked for Shelly Materials in Warsaw.
She began employment for the Village of West Lafayette as Village Administrator in 2021 and said, “I totally love this job.” She is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the village, she is responsible for the street department, parks, wastewater treatment facility, village infrastructure, sidewalks, streets and alleys, village building and property maintenance, code enforcement and the budgets over all the departments. She “works closely with fiscal officer who taught me what I can and cannot do,” Hicks said.
She is very proud of the Village of West Lafayette and the projects that have helped to make improvements to the infrastructure, streets, sidewalks, and parks.
She became interested in the position after “moving into town.” She would listen to the news and “became interested in council meetings.” Her interest “piqued during the flood,” as her basement flooded and her “neighbors came to tell her to get out of her house warning her of the flood waters.” She heard about the organized efforts of the community to help clean out homes.
Hicks said, “It was just amazing to have all that help – the school, the FFA, Pastor Matt Anderson, Mayor Bordenkircher, and so many others. The support was just amazing. After the flood, my interest just kept going and I applied for the village administrator job.”
Outside of her work for the village, Hicks is a member of Isleta UMC and the Lady Generals Boosters, specifically the girls’ basketball program. Next year she plans to get involved with the West Lafayette Chamber and the West Lafayette Improvement Committee. Her village related memberships include Ohio Rural Water Association and OMEGA (Ohio Mid-Eastern Governments Association).
Hicks initially wanted to participate in Leadership Coshocton to get to know more people in the county and for networking but has pivoted to “advance her leadership abilities and grow” in what she knows. “Things have changed since my last management position,” Hicks said. “The way the workforce has changed and the business culture. People and the role of technology. I wanted to be with peers who have experience and share insight. I also want to learn opportunities for volunteerism.”
When asked her view of the community, Hicks had one word – pride. “Proud of where we live, proud of our schools, our academics, our band, our athletes. We came together in crisis; I had firsthand experience during this. It is a caring community. Our common thread is our schools. Everyone wants to be in the district. Houses are snatched up. I’d like to see the area grow, incorporate the outer-lying areas. This needs to be a focus of the village moving forward – how to generate revenue since we lost the drinking water supply.”
When asked what will make the county stronger, Hicks said, “It is going in a good direction. With a focus on the service industry and tourism, continue that and keep young generations here to continue what’s happening now. We have good healthcare, schools, industry, and businesses with good cultures to work in. The proximity to everywhere else is nice.”
Hicks would “absolutely” recommend Leadership Coshocton for others. “Both the mayor and Amy Bourne (village fiscal officer) recommended it. You’re forced to step outside your comfort zone, become comfortable networking. Learning to be a better leader, workforce changes and challenges. You learn about things you don’t even think about.”
Category: Clubs & Organizations
