Jill Hicks seeks seat on Sussex County Council

Jill Hicks, a retired Wawa executive and schoolteacher, has announced she will run for the District 5 seat on Sussex County Council. Hicks, a smart-growth advocate, will officially file for the Democratic nomination March 11.

Hicks most recently served on the Sussex County Land-Use Reform Working Group, which recommended 20 major actions that county council could take to better align the county’s growth with services and infrastructure.

“County council will soon be making decisions on planning and land use that will affect our lives for the next 10 years,” Hicks said. “It’s vital to have a council member committed to change. I am that person. I am committed to bringing common-sense change and affordability priorities to the council.”

In advance of her candidacy, Hicks resigned as president of the Sussex Preservation Coalition, a group she co-founded with Sussex County Council member Jane Gruenebaum and grew to 4,000 members. 

Hicks said she pledges to promote policies that:

• Promote livable, affordable communities
• Drive smart land-use decisions
• Ensure infrastructure keeps pace with development
• Protect the environment
• Preserve farmland
• Support public education and emergency services.

Hicks graduated from Penn State University with a music degree. However, she worked her way up the ladder at Wawa, serving as store manager, real estate manager, director of purchasing and coffee procurement, and director of marketing and supply chain information technology. After retiring from Wawa, she returned to her first love and taught music in elementary and middle school for 11 years.

She and her husband Bill live in Chapel Green near Lewes.