Lifelong Greenville resident announces candidacy for commissioner

Jan. 27—GREENVILLE — Hometown pride is driving the candidacy of Stephen A. Williams, for Mercer County commissioner.

A self-proclaimed Christian conservative, Williams will seek one of two Republican nominations for the office.

He joins Republican activist Ann Coleman on the Republican ballot. Republican Commissioner Scott Boyd is not seeking re-election. Commissioners Chairman Matt McConnell has not made an announcement.

So far, incumbent Commissioner Tim McGonigle and Lackawannock Township businessman James McLusky are running for the Democratic nominations.

"For the last 20-plus years, as a small business owner, I've done everything I could to help make Greenville a better place to live, work and raise a family," Williams said. "I have an enormous amount of pride in Greenville, and I'm ready to take that to the county level."

After selling his business, Osborne-Williams Funeral Home and Cremation Services, last year, Williams, 48, said he has been praying and searching for a sign of what he will be called to do next.

"This opportunity has come at a perfect time in my life," Williams said. "It's time I go a different direction and am ready to give the Mercer County commissioner's office a fresh outlook on continuing to keep the county going in a positive direction."

Economics is his number one issue, Williams said.

"Every level of government is tasked with staying strong, while not continuing to over-tax the people," Williams said. "I do feel there's a strong correlation between places like the Mercer County Career Center, Penn Northwest, and the Reynolds Industrial Park in that we need to keep our local talent in the area by providing them good jobs through business and industry, so that they may live and raise families of their own, right here in Mercer County."

Williams said he is a strong supporter of funding for first responders.

"Our police officers, firefighters, and paramedics are grossly underpaid for what they do on a daily basis, and their respective departments continue to be underfunded at all levels," Williams said. "Keeping our police departments, fire departments, and EMS departments operating at financial levels that they need to survive is a vital part of our livelihoods as Mercer County citizens."

Williams is a 1993 graduate of Greenville High School and received a bachelor's degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania in 1998. He is a 2000 graduate of Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science with a degree in funeral directing and embalming.

In 2001, he became a licensed funeral director, and licensed supervisor of Osborne Funeral Home in Greenville. In 2005, he purchased the funeral home business and changed the name to Osborne-Williams Funeral Home and Cremation Services. He sold the business in 2022.

He works as a licensed funeral director at Osborne-Williams Funeral Home and assists at Flynn Funeral Home in Hermitage. As an independent contractor, he transports donors for the Center for Organ Recovery and Education in Pittsburgh.

Williams has volunteered with several volunteer organizations, including as past president and campaign chair of the former Northern Mercer County United Way, past president and treasurer of Greenville Rotary Club, past president of the Greenville Area Chamber of Commerce, past president of the Western Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association, and past president of the Erie/Crawford County Funeral Directors Association.

Through the National Funeral Directors Association, he volunteered for two weeks at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner following the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, assisting with the identification and release of remains to local New York funeral homes, and making those phone calls to the families.

He was born, raised and currently lives in Greenville with his wife, Christina. The couple has two sons, Stevie, a freshman at Geneva College, and Sawyer, in eighth grade in Greenville schools.

Follow Melissa Klaric on twitter @HeraldKlaric or email her at mklaric@sharonherald.com