The Village of Covington Government Center is located at 1 South High Street in Covington. Elected officials consist of mayor Ed McCord and six council members; Keith Warner, Lois Newman, Bud Weer, Dawn Duff, Scott Tobias and Judy Smith. Michael Busse is the Village Administrator.
Ed McCord, Mayor
Ed was born in Portsmouth, Ohio and raised in Ashville, Ohio (small town south of Columbus). He graduated from Teays Valley High School and received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Ohio University. Ed later obtained his Master’s Degree from Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio.
Ed moved to Covington in 1975 after accepting a teaching position with the Covington Exempted Village Schools. From 1975-1985 he served as a teacher, coach and administrator within the school district. In 1985, Ed left Covington to pursue a career as a school administrator. During the years of 1985-2002, Ed was principal at Ayersville High School in Defiance, Ohio; Madison Plains High School, London, Ohio; and Hilliard Heritage Middle School, Hilliard, Ohio. In 2002, Ed and his family returned to Covington in pursuit of the small town values that they had greatly missed. He completed his administrative career as principal at Piqua Junior High School, Piqua, Ohio, where he retired in 2009.
Ed has served as Mayor of the Village of Covington since 2010. He was first elected Mayor in 2010 to fulfill the unexpired term of the late Gary Bell. Ed has since been re-elected twice and is currently beginning his second four year term. Prior to being Mayor, he was appointed to Village Council in 2009. Ed believes his position as Mayor offers him a unique opportunity to help preserve Covington’s small town values, while at the same time promoting a high quality of living as well as growth within the community.
Ed and his wife, Lisa, have been married for over 30 years. They have three married children and five grandchildren. Ed’s interests include Covington Buccaneer sports, as well as other sports in general. He enjoys reading, golfing, vacationing in Hilton Head Island and spending time with family.
Michael, Busse, Village Administrator
Michael Busse joined the Village of Covington as Village Administrator in 2012. As Village Administrator, Mr. Busse is responsible for the day-to-fay operations of the Street and Utility Departments, the Covington Community Park, and for the future planning and budgeting for the Village.
“I enjoy analyzing village operations to find ways for the Village to be more efficient,” he said. “I feel this position is very rewarding because residents can see the positive improvements that have occurred as a result of the various projects our personnel has been involved in.”
Mr. Busse brings an extensive background of knowledge and experience in all areas of municipal operations to the Village of Covington. He graduated from the Shelby County Ohio Police Academy in 1987 and began his career in village government as a patrolman for the Village of Minster and then followed with stints as a patrolman for the Villages of Fort Laramie and Russia.
In 2001, Mr. Busse joined the Village of Russia on a full-time basis, where he served as the Chief of Police and later as Village Administrator – positions he enjoyed until the opportunity arose to join the Village of Covington in 2012.
Mr. Busse continues to reside in Russia with Becky, his wife of over thirty years. He has two children and seven grandchildren.
Lois Newman, Council Member
Being a life-long resident of Covington, Lois Newman has always looked for opportunities to give back to the community. Which is why she jumped at the opportunity to join the Village Council when the opportunity presented itself in 2012.
“What made me want to be on Village Council is helping the people of Covington,” she said. “I like knowing what’s going on and helping the village move forward in a positive direction.”
Lois has extensive experience in management as she has managed apartments for years. She feels this knowledge and experience is beneficial in helping the village accomplish goals.
Dawn Duff, Council Member
Dawn Duff was born and raised in Greenville, Ohio. 18 years ago, she moved to Covington to live with her husband David, who has been a life-long Covington resident. Dawn has a diverse career background. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Edison Community College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Forensic Accounting from Franklin University, and a MBA in Management, Innovation, & Change from Wright State University. During her spare time Dawn volunteers for the Science Olympiad Invitational which is held at Centerville High School. Dawn started out as a citizen member of the Village of Covington Planning and Zoning Committee in 2016. She wanted to experience the inner workings of local government. With encouragement from her dad, she applied for a seat on the council. Being the youngest member of the council, she provides a different viewpoint to the council, while representing all ages of the village’s citizens. She said, “Being on the council has been an enlightening experience. It has opened my eyes to what the council has to deal with in making sure the village keeps running and handling various requests and concerns from the community.”
“I’ve lived in the Greenville area most of my life, and when I moved to Covington, it was definitely a change. Covington has a small town, laid back atmosphere.” She said about living in Covington.
Judy Smith, Council Member
Raised in Covington and a graduate of Covington High School, Judy Smith brings a passion for serving the community since joining the Village Council in 2016.
“I was raised here and graduated from here,” she said. “I lived in Piqua until widowed and returned to Covington in 2012. I had an interest in serving the Village of Covington, which is why I chose to get involved as a council member.”
Judy is proud to utilize her education and experience as a Real Estate Associate/Service Writer in helping the village make decisions that will benefit the Covington Community. And in a short time she has already felt rewarded.
“What makes this rewarding is having the opportunity to learn more about the village and residents,” she said.
Scott Tobias, Council Member
Scott Tobias has been involved with the Village Council since 2002 as a member of the Planning and Zoning Committee – a position Tobias feels very rewarding.
“I was appointed to a second term for a vacant seat (in 2002) and I have continued all of these years because I have found the position interesting and rewarding,” Tobias said. “Being a part of a group making decisions to keep Covington well maintained and moving forward is what makes this a rewarding experience.”
He also brings a wealth of experience to the table as he has worked for the Miami County Housing Authority for nearly three decades – acquiring skills that help Tobias in the decision-making process.
“I’ve worked as a housing inspector for the Miami County Housing Authority for twenty-eight years,” he said. “That experience is beneficial in making decisions that benefit Covington.”
The Village of Covington is a special place for Tobias as he has spent his entire life in Covington and has chosen to raise his family here.
“My wife and I enjoy the small town atmosphere,” he said of living in Covington. “I’ve lived in Covington all of my life and raised my children here, so we spend most of our time with our family in the area.”
Keith Warner, Council Member
Retired after 35 years employed at Sears, where he was an Operations Manager, and nearly nine years at Healthcare Pharmacy (now Remedi Senior Care), Keith Warner wanted to use his extensive knowledge and experience to make the Village of Covington the best possible community in which too live by becoming a council member in January of 2015.
“I accepted the position because I felt with my background as an Operations Manager at Sears, I can look at a problem from both sides and make a good decision for the village, the residents and businesses,” he said.
Keith is a life-long resident on Covington and a 1969 graduate of Covington High School. He has raised his family in Covington and enjoys the quiet life the village has to offer.
“I’ve lived in Covington all my life,” Keith said. “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I’m very proud to have raised my family here.”
In his spare time, Keith enjoys spending time with his growing family and taking trips to the lake in the summer.
Bud Weer, Council Member
A life-long resident, born and raised in Covington, Bud Weer has spent the majority of his life having a positive impact on the community. Retired after nearly 40 years in management of manufacturing engineering, facilities and safety, Bud chose to continue impacting the Covington community in a positive way as a member of the Village Council in 2013. As a Council Member, the position is very rewarding for Bud as he enjoys have a positive impact on the lives of residents.
“I enjoy helping move the village forward and providing quality services to make the lives better for the community,” he said. “After retiring, I just really wanted to give back to the community.”
In his spare time Bud enjoys the simple things in life – woodworking, spending quality time with his children and grandchildren, and following the Buckeyes of The Ohio State University.