So, yeah, now she’s the mayor.
First, it was council. No, wait, it was the Zoning Appeals Commission that offered her the first taste of municipal government. That’s where Sara Wood-Shaw whetted her palate for politics beyond simply watching her father, David, serving previously as a council member or the mayor of Moundsville.
Then she ran for an at-large council position back in 2018 and won, and this past November Wood-Shaw was re-elected after defeating a pair of challengers.
And then?
“It was December 20th, our final council meeting of the year, and I was nominated to be mayor by Brianna Hickman,” Wood-Shaw explained. “And then Randy Chamberlain seconded the motion, and I was sitting next to my father and he stayed silent. I’m not sure how he reacted as far as a facial reaction is concerned, but he tells me that he’s very proud of me.
“It was a total surprise because the way it works is that the former mayor, Judy Hunt, could have requested a second year in the position, but she told us that evening that she would not be exercising that option,” she continued. “So, I was nominated and no one else was, so that’s when it went to the second and then to the vote. That’s when I became the next mayor of Moundsville.”
So, now, it’s Mayor Sara Wood-Shaw?
“It is neat. I’ll admit that. And it’s not worn off yet, to be honest,” Wood-Shaw admitted. “Of course, it’s still only the first month, so it’s still very new to me.
“I really can’t think of a bigger honor, though. And I’m not trying to be corny, either,” she said. “I think about it this way – the people who watched me grow up here in Moundsville have elected me, and now I am their mayor. It’s such a great honor.”
Less Pomp and More Priorities
OK, so a gavel does come with the position, and Wood-Shaw now sits in the middle of her six council colleagues, but the 34-year-old leader is focused on infrastructure, the retention of police and fire personnel, and dilapidated structures.
“I know I hear about the need for more demolitions more than I hear about anything else,” the mayor reported. “People are tired of it, and now that they have seen us take action in other areas, they want us to know their property values are suffering, too. I don’t blame them.
“Ever since I joined council one of the focuses has been on improving the quality of life for our residents, and I think the City has done a great job addressing the things our residents have told us about,” she said. “But we need more of it. We need to hear from more of our residents, and we’re making efforts to encourage more feedback.”
OK, so … the folks are obviously listening.
“Well, one way I hope to get connected with everyone in Moundsville is with an idea that I and Brianna (Hickman) discussed recently,” Wood-Shaw said. “We created a new committee after a vote by council is the Community Education and Engagement Committee and that’s because we understand that not everyone is on Facebook and not everyone reads the newspaper anymore. People really do get their information in different ways these days, so we want to try to cover them all.
“Our goal with this new committee is to create new events after hearing from as many people as possible through the members of this committee,” she said, “And we’re going to invite as many people as possible to attend those meetings, too. If we just keep attempting to engage our residents, inevitably we will hear from more and more of them over time.”
And there are those live concerts, too, down in town, right?
“Yes, and one of the main reasons why we started ‘Jefferson Fridays’ was to engage our younger citizens more than what was taking place when I first was voted to a position on council, and we know that those events have worked in a lot of ways. First and foremost, they know who to contact when they have an idea for a performer for one of those Friday evenings,” Wood-Shaw reported. “We also just started a new program called ‘Create with MAC,” and MAC stands for the Moundsville Arts and Culture Commission.
“During those events, we’ll have smaller get togethers for people to do things like calligraphy, and other activities that we believe our older residents will enjoy,” she explained. “You come sign up, all of the materials are free, and you’ll leave with a new skill. Another activity will be photography and I know a lot of people are looking forward to that evening, as well.”
Smiles, Of Course, But Ears, Too
Sara Wood-Shaw is a very positive person. Seriously, her glass is half full. All. Of. The. Time.
And there is absolutely nothing wrong with her proactive approach, but when the mayor of Moundsville encounters an issue needing addressed?
“Well, you get it taken care of as quickly as possible,” Wood-Saw said, and yes, with a smile. “If it’s not an instant fix, then it’s very important to communicate to those who are impacted by the problem.”
Sounds easy, right?
“It is easy,” she insisted. “It’s a part of the job we signed up for, right?”
It is, and Wood-Shaw plans to persistently push for others to get more involved, too. It’s her mantra, and she’s sticking to it.
“I was very excited because I have always been so passionate about Moundsville and our potential to have so much more as a community. That’s why I hope we get more investment from our citizens,” Wood-Shaw said. “I’d love to see more people attend our meetings, and I would love to see the open spaces in our committees and commissions get filled by residents. I initially got familiar with the city by being a member of the zoning appeals board and that led to me attending council meetings.
“When I attended those meetings, it made me want to be more involved and that’s why I initiated ran for a council position,” she recalled. “We need people who care about the future of the city, and people who care about attending activities and other amenities because there’s really no reason why we can’t have some of the attractions other cities have right now. I’d love to see residents come and engage the council so we know how they feel.”
