Renner’s government experience key to assisting Voinovich School Advisory Board

Ohio University graduate Stephen A. Renner found a calling in public service, which he performs day and night on a regular basis.

During the day, he leads an agency with a $20 million budget as director of the Franklin County Department of Sanitary Engineering. And at least once a month for the last 14-plus years, he has taken a seat at night as a member of the Gahanna City Council.

That experience, which he took to the next level by earning a Master of Sustainability, Security and Resilience degree from OHIO, made Renner a perfect match to serve on Advisory Board for the George V. Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

Early in his career, taking leadership roles wasn’t always at the top of his list, as he was drawn to the field of chemistry – first as an undergrad at Otterbein University where he earned a BS in Chemistry and Physics, then at Chemical Abstracts Service, where he advanced over nine years to eventually become product development manager.

In 2009, he decided to switch gears and pursue a career with Franklin County, where he has worked ever since. He oversees an agency that provides water and sewer services to more than 40,000 county residents and businesses.

A career in public service

Renner joined the city of Gahanna as a civil service commissioner in 2008 and served in that post until he was elected in 2011 to city council.

“Over time, I came to understand that public service is my calling. I see myself as a servant first,” he said. “Whether I am working for the county or serving on city council, the decisions we make affect people’s everyday lives. That creates an obligation to listen carefully, learn from the people closest to an issue and work on behalf of the communities we serve.”

Despite his increased responsibilities, Renner wasn’t done working to advance his own knowledge. At the urging of William Murdock, executive director of the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, he enrolled in the MSSR program at the Voinovich School. Along with that degree, Renner now holds three certifications from OHIO in Planning Resilient Systems, Environmental Change Management and Leadership, and Community Risk and Resilience.

Renner said he enjoyed the MSSR coursework so much he told Professors Geoffrey Dabelko and Natalie Kruse Daniels he was sorry when it was over.

Master's degree impacted his work, led to new responsbilities

So what can an advanced MSSR degree teach someone with decades of public service experience in a related field? Plenty, according to Renner.

“The most powerful thing I took from the MSSR program was systems thinking. It opened doors within me. In every class, the faculty encouraged us to look beyond an issue in isolation and examine the relationships across the whole system. Over time, that became a habit of mind. I began to see more clearly how land use, affordability, public health, infrastructure, environmental conditions and public trust influence one another and, ultimately, affect people’s lives,” he said.

“I carried that way of thinking into my public service. It changed the questions I ask: Who will be affected by this decision? Who needs to be involved? What relationships or consequences might we be overlooking? It has made me more thoughtful about bringing different forms of knowledge together before reaching a decision,” Renner said.

“It has impacted my work in a very positive way,” Renner said, adding that some of his responsibilities with the county have increased as a result.

Serving as a public service representative and voice for students

As a Voinovich School Advisory Board member, Renner said he sees himself as a public service representative and a voice for students. He has been impressed not only with his fellow board members but also with the school’s extensive programs and partnerships.

“I've been amazed and impressed with the breadth of the school's impact, and it's made me even more of a Bobcat fan, if you will, and follower of the Voinovich school,” and its impacts on thousands of lives in the community and across Ohio, he said.

“To be just a microscopic part of that makes you feel deeply connected with people and aware, and that I have even a greater responsibility to carry forth every day whether it is for my service to the county or my community,” Renner said.

Outside of public service, Renner enjoys hiking, camping, biking and reading, and especially values the backpacking trips his family has taken in national parks across the United States and Canada. He is also a licensed amateur radio operator with the call sign KE8TCR.