Former Greene County Presiding Commissioner Dave Coonrod has moved on from politics and taken a job in hydrology and operations management with Protem-based Ozark Underground Laboratory, near Theodosia.
Coonrod, who accepted the position Feb. 7, announced his next move Feb. 17 at the Springfield Business Development Corp. annual meeting.
The change signifies a full-circle move for Coonrod, who received his bachelor's degree in geology and master's degree in resource planning from Missouri State University, where he did water tracing tests on an area landfill as well as other research. In the early stages of his career, Coonrod also was the founding director of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks.
"I've certainly been in the lab. It's been a while since I've had a lab coat on and done real science, but this is certainly science in the real world," Coonrod said. "I'm really enjoying it so far and looking forward to our future prospects."
In his new role, Coonrod is doing field work and managing the laboratory and some administrative aspects of the groundwater tracing and water quality consulting firm. He noted that on Feb. 18, he will be doing field work in Neosho.
Though Protem is approximately an hour and half from Springfield, Coonrod said he and his family will remain in their west Greene County home.
"This is a welcome change for me from being in politics, although I love public service, and I truly love serving the citizens of Greene County," Coonrod said. "This is just a different way to possibly do that in the future because the Ozark Underground Laboratory has done a number of studies specific to Greene County."
Coonrod was unseated from his 16-year role as Greene County presiding commissioner in November by Republican Jim Viebrock.[[In-content Ad]]
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