SIDNEY — A new deputy director for the Shelby County Board of Elections was sworn into office Monday morning, March 13.
Director Dawn Billing read the oath of office to Donald “Donnie” Chupp, 33, of Sidney, as his wife, Amy, held the family bibles.
“I’ve always been intrigued by politics,” said Chupp, who is a Republican. He replaced Phil Warnecke, who retired earlier this month.
He said he likes the election process the country has and when the position with the Board of Elections came open, he decided to apply for it.
Chupp comes to the Board of Elections from Chase Bank where he was a relationship banker. He has three years of college with the University of Phoenix and is working toward a business and finance degree.
“Business techniques you learn in college go hand-in-hand with politics,” said Chupp. “Business and political decisions affect each other.”
Part of his responsibilities as the new deputy director, said Chupp, will be in community relations, recruiting poll workers and maintaining equipment.
“I’m looking forward to the job,” said Chupp. “I like new adventures and challenges.”
Both he and Billing are looking forward to learning about the new e-poll books which will be used in the county’s next election.
“I’ll be able to learn about the poll books with fresh eyes. Then I’ll be able to teach the public what I’ve learned,” he said.
The Chupps are the parents of two children, Preston, 10, and Emma, 7. They are members of the Sidney Apostolic Temple.
“We’re outdoor people and love to camp,” he said. “We have a camper at glacier Hills. The cellphone service is choppy up there and we like that.”
On Tuesday, his second day on the job, Chupp will be traveling to Columbus for training, which is required by state law.
Ohio law dictates that the director and deputy director of county boards of elections be of opposite political parties. Billing is a Democrat. The law further states that the director of a county board of elections shall be of the opposite party to the chairman of the board. Chairman Christopher Gibbs is a Republican.
The board received seven applications for the position and interviewed four people. He was hired at a salary of $37,000 annual and will serve a six-month probationary period.
