Eric Larson, director of the Jefferson County Services Department, is stepping down after almost eight years in the job.
Larson, 51, is leaving the position to take a new job as executive director of the St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Management District, a nonprofit agency that coordinates recycling efforts in Jefferson, St. Louis and St. Charles counties and St. Louis.
He is scheduled to start his new job on Feb. 21.
Larson has headed up the Jefferson County Services Department, which includes the Planning Division, animal control, code enforcement and solid waste, since June 2015.
Larson’s annual salary is $101,461.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity I’ve had with Jefferson County,” he said. “This is my 26th year in community development, and at my age, I wanted the opportunity to do something completely different. When this opportunity presented itself, I was curious about the chance to expand the (Solid Waste Management District) and make it a little more noticeable and more recognizable.
“People, when they hear ‘solid waste,’ it doesn’t mean much. What it really means is recycling.”
Larson will replace Dave Berger, who is retiring after 31 years.
“He’s the only executive director they’ve had,” said Larson, who has chaired the district’s executive board for about four years and has served on it for six. “One of the things that will help me in this new job is that I’ve been involved with the district for six years. But I’ll be able to learn a lot more about it.”
He said he wasn’t contemplating a career change until he learned that Berger was planning to step down in October.
Larson said he’s proud of several things accomplished under his watch in Jefferson County.
“The No. 1 thing, and I’ve had a lot of help with this, is that I lead a department of 56 people, 53 of whom I have individually hired through the years. They have been an excellent team, and I believe they are well suited to carry on without me as a leader, which is a good thing,” he said. “I feel like I’m leaving the County Services Department in better shape than it was nearly eight years ago.
“When I was hired by (then-County Executive) Ken Waller, he and (Director of Administration) David Courtway stressed to me that they wanted good customer service. I’ve always felt like that was my job. That’s the reason I went into government work. And I’m proud of the way we strive to serve our residents.”
Larson said he’s also proud of opening the Animal Control Center in House Springs to replace the aging and problematic shelter in Barnhart, as well as the recycling center in Hillsboro.
“It’s really the first recycling center in Jefferson County in a county capacity,” he said.
Larson said the revision of the county master plan, which is getting started now, is a bit of business he leaves unfinished.
“When I started here, that was talked about, but the county never had budgeted the money to do it,” he said. “Now it’s started, and I still hope to be part of it, not as part of the staff but as a resident.”
He said he and his wife, Marsha, will continue to live in the Hillsboro area. His son, Blake, a senior at Hillsboro High School, has committed to attend and play football at Illinois College.
County Executive Dennis Gannon said Larson will be missed.
“Eric is a fine guy, and I enjoyed working with him,” he said. “We certainly wish him well and I hope his next chapter of life works out well for him.”
Gannon said the process to hire a replacement for Larson will start soon.
“In the meantime, Dennis Kehm Jr. (the assistant director of the department) will guide the department, and I have every confidence it will be in very capable hands,” Gannon said.