His supporters believed he was the mayor the city of Wheeling needed, and the majority of voters agreed and picked him over five other residents seeking the same seat.
But that’s not why Denny Magruder is this year’s LEDE News Person of the Year.
Magruder was in charge of Wesbanco Arena and the Capitol Theatre when he retired in 2022 after serving the city for 36.5 years, and he’s already been inducted into the Friendly City’s Hall of Fame.
But that’s not why either.
Mr. Magruder, husband to Barbara and Dad to Terri, Rob, and Jennifer, has been named this year’s “POY” because he’s governing his city exactly the way he said he would. His priorities were simple, really, with public safety, economic development, and repairing the city’s relationships on the state level all were high on his list, and over his first six months on the job, Magruder has done nothing but keep his word.
He sheds credit, solves problems, leans on decades of experience, allows people to do their jobs, stays in his lane, and he’s preparing his city for whatever might be the next best thing to help Wheeling continue toward its reinvention. Will downtown residential grow? Will the private sector follow if so? What is the true future of the Wheeling Suspension Bridge and the McLure Hotel? When will WVU Health System break ground for the new cancer treatment and research center?
Those are just a few of the very important questions facing this mayor and his Council in 2025, and he’s ready to help guide his city through each of those crossroads and several more as the population continues to evolve away from things like parking meters and more toward web-based interaction of all kinds. He’s always been an ambassador for the Friendly City, and he’ll tell you how much he enjoys serving as the city’s No. 1 cheerleader.
Magruder is this year’s “POY” because he genuinely cares about the kids in the schools, the seniors in the high rises, and everyone in between no matter who you are, what you do, or how you voted back in May. He’s holding no grudges against those who claimed he was too old or against diversity and inclusiveness, and he’s forgotten about the individuals who attempted to spread misinformation with his name attached.
The Mayor of Wheeling has done quite the opposite actually while attempting to engage those opponents to harness their energy and ideas because, as he refreshingly admits often, no one person can think of everything and even the most brilliant can, at times, be dead damn wrong.
Magruder’s supporters were correct – he is the mayor Wheeling needs right now because he’s reunifying residents, learning from disagreement, open to all suggestions, and he’s thrilled the citizens want to be part of the process because he believes that’s the only way for the city to become what it needs to be for today and for the future.
He gets us – all of us – because he’s been here, and he’s done it all.
Abd THAT is why Denny Magruder is this year’s LEDE News 2024 Person of the Year.
