Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes will be leaving public service on Jan. 1 after a career that has spanned over 38 years working for Wood County in a variety of positions. He is looking to get involved with the Wood County Historical Society and other groups and pursuing his own interests once he retires. (Photo by Brett Dunlap)

PARKERSBURG — After just over 38 years of serving the people of Wood County, Mark Rhodes feels it is time for him to pursue some of his own interests as he looks back on his career in public service.

Wood County Clerk-elect Joe Gonzales will take his oath of office on Thursday this week and will officially take over on Jan. 1. With that, Rhodes will be retiring after many years of working for the county in various positions.

”It is time for someone else to come in with a different view in how some things should be done,” Rhodes said. ”The majority of my knowledge about this job just came from working and learning (in all the positions he has served in).”

Rhodes started working for the county in November 1984 at the old Wood County Jail as a corrections officer. He became the jail administrator January 1991 and worked there until July 1997. He also helped oversee the implementation of the home confinement system and saw a lot of people benefit from it.

”I still run into a lot of people I met back then,” he said with a laugh of his time at the jail with people who were incarcerated there as well as their families, some of whom still regard him in a warm and friendly manner.

Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes oversees his last election as County Clerk in November. Rhodes is retiring at the end of this week as newly elected Clerk Joe Gonzales takes over. Also pictured are Angi Graham and Chris Whittaker who were processing the votes as they were delivered to the Wood County Courthouse on Election Night. (File Photo)

After the jail, he worked in the county’s computer room, the Chief Tax Deputy under Sheriff Steve Greiner for four years in the early 2000s and started working directly for the County Clerk’s Office in 2005.

”I have been here since,” he said, adding he learned a lot about serving people in that role from former County Clerk Jamie Six.

He was appointed to the clerk’s position in August 2013 when Six stepped down. He ran for the unexpired term of in 2014. He has served the last six years as county clerk after being elected to a full term in 2016.

”I have met a lot of good people,” Rhodes said. ”I have taken away a lot of knowledge of county operations.”

He gained an understanding of operations in the tax office, the county clerk’s office, budgeting, payroll finance, voters’ registration, law enforcement, the jail systems and more just working in the computer room.

”In the computer room I dealt with everything,” he said. ”I have a lot of knowledge and it stems from around that computer room, learning all the different software that made the offices tick.

”It made me stepping into this job easier by being here and knowing everything.”

At the beginning of December, Rhodes hired Gonzales as a deputy clerk so he could spend some time in the office, get to know the people, meet and interact with other county officials and learn some of the processes so he would be more prepared when he stepped into the role in January.

”Hopefully, it will be a smooth transition that way,” he said.

Rhodes said he could make himself available, if needed, to answer questions and help in other ways.

”In the winter months, I might enjoy a distraction every now and then,” he said.

Otherwise, Rhodes is looking forward to spending time with his family, including doing some projects for his 8-year-old granddaughter, and volunteering more with the Wood County Historical Society, mowing/cleaning cemeteries and more.

He has always had an interest in history, especially local history.

”I like reading history and try to learn from others’ past mistakes,” he said. ”I sometimes like simpler times and the ways things were done 200 years ago. It is enjoyable to learn about things. Where we were and where we are.”

He has had a long time interest in the Phelps-Tavenner House on Camden Avenue where the historical society is based. He has read its history as basically the first courthouse in Wood County. He was just appointed as the treasurer for the Wood County 4-H Trustees.

He believes in the 4-H program and what it does for local youth.

”It is helping kids. I want to maintain those relationships because there are a lot of good people out in the world,” Rhodes said.

Without the work he usually had to go through in the evenings at home, he said he will actually have the time to sit down and read some historical books without any distractions. He joked he might finally renew his library card.

Looking at his role as County Clerk, Rhodes believes he will miss a number of things about the job.

”For as much work as elections are that you see, I will miss the poll workers,” he said. ”I have told the elections office that I will volunteer to be a poll worker for the elections.

”I know how hard it is to find enough people to work. I am an able-bodied person and I can do that.”

Rhodes has talked with another retiring clerk and they said they were not going to miss the “conspiracy theorists.” He has had people come in believing different things and has been able to show them what the process is and calmed a number of their fears. He will miss being able to go through some of the historical records where he has learned more about the history of the area.

He will miss helping people get through probate.

”You are helping people get through that process,” he said. ”I won’t miss the family feuds.”

Estates can take anywhere from three months to over five years to settle, depending on everything involved.

”The County Clerk’s Office is about helping people,” Rhodes said ”Again, I have met a lot of nice people here, employees and customers. There is a lot of that I am going to miss.”

Rhodes believes Gonzales has the desire to want to serve the public and help people as well as make sure things get done correctly and transparently.

”Every County Clerk I have known around the state have always been helpful people,” he said. ”I believe many local governments are that way because they are local.

”We know the people we deal with.”

He is thankful to the people who voted for him and supported him during is time in office.

Rhodes has said he won’t rule out another run for elected office, but right now he wants to concentrate on his other interests.

”I learned to never say ‘never,”’ he said. ”However, at this time, I have some other things I want to concentrate on doing.”