As a newcomer to Holbrook, Dr. Adam Marsh had a surprising victory when he received the majority vote at the Holbrook City Council meeting on June 26, becoming the newest member on the current council.
Growing up in a small, rural Indiana town Marsh, who is employed as a paleontologist at the Petrified Forest National Park (PFNP), always knew he wanted to study the ancient world of dinosaurs and fossils. “I remember telling my preschool teacher that I wanted to be a paleontologist,” said Marsh. “Unlike most kids, I wanted to be a paleontologist before I saw the movie, Jurassic Park. I have always been fascinated by dinosaurs.”
Following his dream, Marsh went to the University of Texas in Austin where he completed his Masters degree in 2013. It was there he met Bill Parker, lead paleontologist at PFNP and a Holbrook resident. Marsh asked Parker if there were any openings at the park, resulting in Marsh becoming a summer intern for the next two years.
By 2015 he was a seasonal employee and then in 2016 he was offered a full-time position as lead paleontologist. “Most paleontologists have to plan their field work around two or three months every summer, but working at the park I can drive out in the middle of nowhere and find a fossil, or bone or fragment, and bring it back to study and understand it,” shared Marsh.
“The process at the park is very streamlined and involves everything from collecting the fossils to writing the paper to sharing it with the public. A lot of what I do at work is putting tiny pieces of teeth and bone together.”
He explained that one of the best parts of his job is the outreach portion, being able to talk with people and especially kids, who want to learn. “I always wonder if one day one of those kids might become a paleontologist because of what I shared,” said Marsh.
It is that same passion that he brings to the council and to the people of Holbrook. “We need to give the residents a chance to connect with their roots, to embrace all the resources that make Holbrook what it is. Within those resources, we can bring more people into the town and make more people proud of where they are from,” said Marsh.
Since moving to Holbrook in February of 2016, Marsh and his wife, Colleen, have worked to create those connections in Holbrook. Marsh attended many of the city council meetings and when Wade Carlisle stepped down in May, Marsh knew he wanted to be one of the candidates.
“I have wanted to connect with the community outside of my job,” said Marsh. “As I sat and watched the meetings, I kept thinking there needs to be a new perspective; hopefully something I can provide. It’s an opportunity for me to give back to a community that has embraced and helped us a lot.”
As the newest member on the council, Marsh believes the most important next step is in the hiring of the city manager. “We need to select a dynamic and creative city manager,” noted Marsh. “If we want to find the best qualified person for that job, then we need to be open to all suggestions and possibilities. It is the city manager who is the strong person in Holbrook’s government and it will be up to the council to find that person.”
Marsh further shared that as a councilman he feels it is the job of the council to set not only the policy, but the example of stewardship for the people of Holbrook. “We need to be proud of who we are in an outward way that will attract visitors.”
While Marsh doesn’t know where the future will lead, he did say that he and Colleen are very happy in Holbrook. “We see ourselves here for awhile. I am a country mouse and I love small towns,” said Marsh. “I love going to the grocery store and catching up with folks and hearing about what is going on. Colleen always says it’s easy to see the results of your work in small towns. You can really see a difference and the impact in how you contribute to the rest of the town.”
