This article originally appeared in the Washington Missourian.
This is Your Neighbor: Kurt Voss
Kurt Voss is an attorney at Zick, Voss, Politte, Richardson & Brinker P.C. and is heavily involved in Franklin County. He has been the city attorney of St. Clair since 1995 and serves or has served on boards at: Mercy Hospital Washington; East Central College; Citizens Bank of New Haven, Washington, Gerald and Pacific, the City of Washington Public Works; Washington Area Chamber of Commerce; MU Alumni Association; Washington Town & Country Fair; Washington Rotary Club; and more. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1989. He grew up on a farm in Beaufort and now resides in Washington with his wife, Kim. The couple has one daughter, Connor, and one son, Clayton.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be …
A farmer.
What would you rather be doing right now?
Bird hunting in Montana
Shh! Don’t tell anyone that …
I like pickled okra.
Other than your wedding day and/or the birth of your children, what was your proudest moment?
Being named the state president of the Missouri Future Farmers of America in high school.
It really stinks when …
People speak without knowing all the facts of a situation.
What word in the dictionary would your face be next to?
Realist.
I always laugh when …
Gael Wood tells a joke.
Invite any three people, living or dead, to dinner. Who are they? What would you serve?
Jesus Christ, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams. I’d serve beef tender loin, Caesar salad, baked potatoes and a good Cabernet wine, of course.
At the end of a really long day at work, like to
Sit on the porch and enjoy a glass of red wine.
People who knew me in high school thought I was …
Very tall.
My most unforgettable brush with greatness was …
I have never brushed with greatness.
I would drop all my plans tonight if I had the chance to …
Go to a Bob Seger concert.
If someone gave me a million dollars, there is still no way I would …
Stop practicing law.
America should be more concerned about…
Its growing national debt versus its GDP. It was 38 percent when I graduated high school, and it’s now over 125 percent per the St. Louis Fed.
I’m OK if there’s ever a national shortage of …
Cottage cheese.
When I’m in a bookstore, I always go to this section first:
History or biographies.
What is the most useful piece of advice you have ever received?
Proper prior planning prevents poor performance.
When I’m cruising down the road, I’m likely listening to
Classic rock.
I always get sentimental when …
A close relative passes away.
The older I get, the more I realize …
To enjoy every minute you have on this earth because you never know when you might take your last breath.
If I had one “do-over” I would …
Not worry about grades and my GPA as much in college and take hard classes in different subjects that were outside of my degree program.
My favorite item of clothing is _.
My Mizzou fleece vest.
If I’ve learned anything at all, it’s to
Keep your mouth shut and ears open, and you will become a much wiser person.
What do you wish Washington or Franklin County had to offer?
A really nice steak restaurant with a great wine list.
Who is your personal hero or mentor?
My high school vocational agriculture/FFA instructor, Mr. Donald Elbert, who was very instrumental in my growth as a student and person.
A historical figure I’d like to meet is …
Thomas Jefferson.
In my opinion there is no more beautiful place on Earth than …
The back porch at my hunting lodge when the sun is setting in the fall.
I’ll watch the movie anytime it is on television:
“Shawshank Redemption.”
What’s your superpower?
My morning coffee.
If you’ could know the absolute and total truth to one question, what question would you ask?
Is there human-like life on another planet?
