Nancy Ames' journey to mayor's race took several turns
Original life plan followed a musical path before discovering her proper niche
CHILLICOTHE -- If you had asked the high school or college version of Nancy Ames if she could see herself one day running for mayor of Chillicothe, she likely would have looked at you like you were crazy.
"I didn't have a strong idea what I wanted to do," Ames said. "I had been in a rock band in high school and involved in music and drama, so I decided to be a music major in college. I got my degree, but found that spending three hours a day alone in a practice room didn't fit my personality.
"After getting married, a series of moves gave me various employment opportunities. That's when I figured out that learning new things and working with people was my niche."
That niche found its voice when Ames, now 62, arrived in Chillicothe in 1991 and became a volunteer in Martha Corker's third-grade class -- launching a litany of service in various school booster clubs, the Cavalier Club and on some community boards.
"I started thinking about running for office when I got invited to a fundraiser and saw the people involved and their excitement," she said. "I decided that was the direction I wanted to turn. When my youngest went off to college, I had the time to devote to city council."
Deb Turvey, who has been a friend of Ames' for about 18 years and served on a local artists' board together, said her first impression of the Republican candidate -- and one that has been reinforced ever since -- was of a person who is easy to talk to and understand and who has always projected herself as a leader.
"I am in awe of Nancy," Turvey said. "She is one of those people I look up to."
Turvey is a member of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce, as is Ames, and she said you can see those qualities that would make her a strong mayor during monthly Business After Business gatherings.
"She is the person who mingles, talks to every group, is pleasant, and if you have something that you're griping about, she'll listen to you but she won't always give you an answer, she'll say she'll figure it out or see what she can do and go on (from there)," Turvey said.
Another longtime friend, Julie Lambert, said that Ames has always been a very positive person with a thirst to gain experience and knowledge, When their children where in high school together, Lambert said Ames immersed herself in getting involved in the school.
"I kind of liked that about her, she was somebody who didn't sit back, she took part in a lot of things with the kids and stuff like that," Lambert said.
Ames' involvement in the community during her eight-year run as a city councilperson has not gone unnoticed, with independent mayoral candidate Joe Sharp going so far as to say during Tuesday's mayoral town hall that Ames is the hardest-working councilperson he had ever met. She credits that to her parents, who she said were products of the Great Depression and had several problems they had to overcome in life.
"My dad was in World War II, came back and was a soda jerk and eventually became an electrician at Eaton Manufacturing," she said. "My mom had to leave high school to help support her family. She went back eventually and got her GED, and when she was 40, she decided that she wanted to be a teacher and went to college to pursue her dream.
"By their actions, they showed me the importance of hard work and perseverance to reach a goal."
Now, her latest goal involves vying to become the successor to Mayor Jack Everson, and she believes her organizational skills, energy, love of research and problem-solving ability can help get her there and follow a life path different from the one she started down, but one that she's gratified to have discovered.
"Moving to Chillicothe has been one of the best things to happen in my life," she said. "Raising my family here and being a part of this community has truly been a blessing."
FAST FACTS: NANCY AMES
► If she could fulfill any personal dream, it would be to play in a backup band and go on tour with Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert and Keith Urban. "That would be amazing!" she said.
► Her three children were each born in a different country. Maureen was born in Germany, Justine in Canada and Matt in the United States.
► The life lesson she's learned that she tries to live by is to be kind and treat others with respect, and most people will then respond in kind. "You make your own world a happy place by spreading happiness," she said.
► For more on Nancy Ames, including answers to several campaign-related questions, visit the Chillicothe Gazette's online voter's guide at chillicothegazette.com.
► For a profile on Democratic mayoral candidate Luke Feeney, see Saturday's Gazette, and for independent candidate Joe Sharp, see Sunday's publication.