Fred Apt and Bruce Symes are tossing their hats in the ring to be considered by Republican precinct members as a replacement for Jim Talkington for Allen County Commission.
Talkington’s successor will be selected by precinct people in District 3, which comprises the First, Third and Fourth wards of Iola, Bassett and South Iola Township.
Precinct members will gather Thursday evening to vote on the position, which will carry through the end of the year.
Apt, 65, and his wife, Janet, have lived in Iola nine-plus years. Both are native Iolans.
Apt works as an engineering consultant. Before returning to Iola in 2009, the Apts lived in Neosho, Mo., where he worked for Sunbeam. From there he also commuted to northwest Arkansas for a job with Preform Line Products.
Janet is a dental hygienist with the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
Apt received his undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Kansas and a degree in plastics engineering from Pittsburg State University.
Symes, 55, is employed at Allen Community College where he is the Writing Center coordinator and journalism instructor.
A resident of Iola for 32 years, Symes is a former reporter for The Iola Register. Perhaps a coincidence, Symes covered the county commission meetings as part of his beat. From that experience Symes learned of the many responsibilities of a commissioner including that of operating the landfill, the role of the county’s emergency services, the jail, airport, etc.
Symes has served on the Buster Keaton Celebration Committee, the new IHS Pathways Committee for Education, and numerous college committees and task forces.
He is a graduate of Kansas State University’s journalism program.
Karen Gilpin announced Tuesday her desire to serve on the commission as well.
PICTURE — Bruce Symes, left, and Fred Apt
