Meet Christopher Neisel, public works director at Canton Township

Canton Township Public Works Director Christopher Neisel has worked with the township for almost 25 years.

Fifteen of those were spent working on the Fire Department and 10 with the Public Works Department. He has served as public works director for the last two years.

“I graduated from Sandy Valley High School in Magnolia, Ohio,” Neisel said. “After high school, I started to further my education at Kent State and Stark State but quickly found out that I needed to be out working with my hands instead of stuck in a classroom.”

After spending 15 years as a pipefitter, he found an open position with Canton Township on the road department and decided to make a change.

“I have never looked back. I have enjoyed the work I do since day one. I work and live in the same community and get great satisfaction in working my hardest to sustain and improve Canton Township for everyone that lives and works here today and in the future,” Neisel said.

He and his wife Tamra and daughter Abigail live in the township. He also has a large group of relatives who live in the township, including his mother and stepfather, sister, mother-in-law and father-in-law, and several aunts and uncles.

“At the end of the day, I want to make sure that I am doing everything I can to make Canton Township a proud family community not just for me and my family to grow and live in but for everyone else that calls it home," he said. "I don’t know whether I chose my career, or it chose me, but I do know that I love what I do.”

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How many miles of roads does the township maintain and where are they located?

We maintain 97.28 miles of roads in Canton Township and approximately two miles for the village of Meyers Lake. We are located on the south east and south west side of the city of Canton and also have a portion around the Meyers Lake area and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Would you share information about the parks system in Canton?

We have two parks within Canton Township that we maintain.

Community Park is located on Oyer Street SE and is just over 15 acres. It contains three baseball fields, a basketball court, a soccer field, picnic shelter, a large playground, and a paved walking track. Faircrest Park, located on Faircrest Street SW is an 11-acre park. It features an 18-hole disc golf course, a playground, a gravel walking track, small picnic shelter, and a newly constructed large picnic shelter with attached restrooms.

Many local groups and organizations use our parks throughout the year for their events and we are always looking for ways to improve the amenities at both parks so more people can enjoy them without having to leave the area.

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What are the tasks of your job that you enjoy the most and why?

This is not the typical 9 to 5 job. The public works director oversees all aspects of the road department and parks department. This comes with a lot of challenges, planning, and responsibility.

What I enjoy the most about the job is the outcome of the work we do for the taxpayers to make our township a great place to live. Whether it is keeping the roads safe from ice and snow, maintaining the streets with the funds available, updating worn out signs, to just mowing grass. I like to see the end results when finished.

Most people do not realize what all we do and how hard it is to keep up with everything, but every day we push forward and accomplish one or several tasks throughout the township.

Do you enjoy being outdoors in your spare time?

I do not get to spend as much time outside during working hours as I would like but every chance I get I am out looking at jobs, talking with residents, or helping out the crew in some way.

When not at work, I enjoy being outdoors. Usually, it entails some type of yard work or building project for myself or a friend and when time allows a nice camping trip. At the end of the day, it is just nice to sit on the patio and relax.

Would you share a few career tips for those who might be interested in working with a public works department?

Do you want to do something with your life that makes a difference to others? Do you what to help improve your community’s quality of life?

I know that I will not please every person who calls in about something, but I will do everything I can to help them as much as I legally can.

Editor's note: Five questions with ... is a Sunday feature that showcases a member of the Stark County community. If you'd like to recommend someone to participate, send an email to newsroom@cantonrep.com.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Five questions with Christopher Neisel with Canton Township