At the Republican convention meeting on Monday night,  Kenneth Lebbin of Ellinwood was named as the new Barton County Commissioner to replace former commissioner Don Cates, who died in a plane wreck on April 22.
With six out of 10 votes, Lebbin was chosen in the first round of voting for the fourth district which includes Precinct 1 of the Fourth Ward in Great Bend, Ellinwood (Lakin Township), Claflin (Independent Township), and the South Bend, Comanche and Logan townships.
The candidates were Ken Lebbin of Ellinwood, Karen Sessler of Ellinwood, Alicia Straub of Ellinwood, and Kirby Krier of Claflin. Each candidate was nominated by one of the 10 voting members of the convention.
The paperwork will be sent to Gov. Sam Brownback, but Richard Friedeman, Republican county chairman, said the governor had seven days to return the paperwork. He expects Lebbin to be able to assume his position by Monday.
“I will bring continuity, co-operation and consistency,” Lebbin told the convention in his address.
He plans to attend city council and township meetings in his district.“I never recall a commissioner visiting a council meeting,” said Lebbin.
Lebbin, 67, is currently serving on the Ellinwood City Council. He was re-elected to that position this past April after a few years’ hiatus. Since 1978, Ken has served 21 years on the Ellinwood City Council.
Ken announced he would resign from the city council at its regular meeting Tuesday night.
According to Ellinwood City Administrator Robert Peter, the Ellinwood mayor, currently Frank Koelsch, makes the appointment for the council position with the consent of the council. The position is filled until the next election for that office.
Lebbin was born and raised in Ellinwood and has lived there most of his life there. He served as an air traffic controller and tower chief in Vietnam, attended Kansas Wesleyan University and Emporia State University. He also lived in Omaha for three years.
The new commissioner owned his own business for 13 years, a Phillips 66 service station with retail and wholesale markets. He also built the first rental storage facility in Ellinwood.
In 1990, Lebbin went to work for the Bushton gas plant. He retired from that job two years ago.
While working at Bushton, Ken received an AA from Barton Community College  in Hazardous Materials.
He was a volunteer fire fighter for Ellinwood for 22 years and currently is a volunteer driver for the Ellinwood community bus. He likes to restore cars and describes himself as a chronic “do-it-your-selfer.”
He built a kit airplane, which took 10 years, that he currently flies.
Ken’s wife Debbie is the K-8 music teacher for USD 112. They have three children.