"Public employment is a service. You can't lose sight of that," he said. "It's hard to go wrong if it's always in your thoughts to pay attention to people and do what's best for them."
Wilcox did the best he could for the city during the city's water crisis in late August 2007. The water plant faced contamination because heavy rains caused a sewer beside the water plant to back up and flood the plant's basement with sewage and storm water.
The basement housed equipment vital to the city's drinking water supply. The equipment had to be sent elsewhere for cleaning and sanitizing.
Meanwhile, Wilcox had an idea and crews from Ottumwa Water Works and Ottumwa Fire made it real.
"They did what hadn't been done before," he said.
The crews saved the city from five to eight waterless days by a margin of 15 to 30 minutes and the last 30,000 gallons of untainted water.
Wilcox's idea was to have three fire trucks at the water works and use the trucks' pumps to draw water out of the reservoir and send thousands of gallons of water into the three closest fire hydrants.
This reverse process - putting water into a hydrant, which usually spews out water - put pressure back into the city's system, which needs about 300,000 gallons of water to avoid contamination.
Wilcox downplayed his part in the water crisis.
"I'm just a local guy. I ain't special," he said. "I'm just doing what I was hired to do."
Wilcox has spent most of his life in Wapello and Davis counties. His family moved to Ottumwa two weeks after he was born in Illinois. Later they "moved to the country" near the Wapello-Davis line.
By the time he was in second grade, the Wilcoxes moved to Bloomfield where he finished school. He graduated from Indian Hills Community College-Centerville and planned to pursue a degree in teaching agriculture.
"But that didn't happen - Vietnam did," he said. "I was never called, but things changed anyway."
Wilcox didn't pursue teaching. He worked for George A. Hormel & Co. for awhile and farmed. In 1984, he bought a plumbing, heating and air conditioning business. Ten years later he agreed to serve as Bloomfield's public works director and stayed for about 12 years.
In January 2002, Wilcox signed on as general manager for Ottumwa Water & Hydro. He's pleased about finding a challenging job in his own neighborhood.
"This is a good place to live. I've traveled around some and I think you have an advantage when you have the background on a local area," he said. "You can prepare better, fewer things are off, and you have that 'care' part."
What sustains him during the tough times, such as a water crisis?
"It's my time. As we mature, the prime adult working years are 50-65 years of age when we have the opportunity to pull together experience and knowledge and what you know is relevant," he said. "Another generation is coming and soon enough I'll be a dinosaur. This is my most efficient time to work."
Wilcox said he has been through many fears and is more prepared.
"After you've fought a few 'wars,' you know it'll take a bunch to knock you over," he said.
Wilcox remarked on how the pace of change in the world is faster than ever. Now the water works has to test water to the billionths instead of millionths.
The water works has planned for the future. One of those projects was an additional source for drinking water. Wilcox believes the water works will get 20 years out of the lakes, which aren't used for recreation.
"Water is the next oil," he said. "West of the Missouri River, there's a scarcity. So, we've quietly developed an alternative source."
Wilcox wonders about the threats of global warming and how to address those and whether any young people will step forward for his job when he's done.
"Or will they move to Los Angeles or New York City? What will happen to our community?" he said.
Looking to the future, Wilcox said the water works is "confident and financially sound." Also, the water works strives to have a succession of workers of different ages who are cross-trained.
"We have wonderful people to work with here. They make my job better," he said. "Our board of trustees is second to none. They're involved yet they're only paid a minimum fee."
The water works is nonpolitical and sheltered from the "whims of politics," Wilcox said.
"It's a good way to have a utility and the water works has kept that status all the way through," he added.
Water is the most critical utility, according to Wilcox. Everyone needs water and he believes his work encompasses all those users, "the stakeholders," who aren't only family but also people "you don't know well but can acknowledge."
Whether you focus on the positive or the negative is always a choice in Wilcox's eyes.
"If you prefer to say 'I'm an island,' that's greedy and selfish," he said. "Negative thinking is terminal.
"We must embrace everyone. We're all here and we've got to get along," he said. "Everyone has value. We must put forth the effort so the community can succeed and prosper."
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