The Namesake of WAB Strategic
WAB Strategic takes its name from William Andrew Burns, a Bainbridge Township native whose career in the telephone industry ran alongside decades of public service in Geauga County, Ohio. A founder of the community’s volunteer fire company and a longtime Republican county commissioner, Burns helped build and guide institutions that his neighbors depended on.
Born on July 23, 1910, William grew up in Bainbridge, the son of a farmer. He and his wife, Gladys, made their home in the township. Both William and Gladys worked in the telephone industry: in 1940, he was a lineman and she was a chief operator. William later moved into supervision, and by 1956 he was plant superintendent of Western Reserve Telephone Company. A surviving photograph also identifies him as superintendent of installation and repair.
His responsibilities extended well beyond his profession. In 1942, Burns helped establish the Bainbridge Township Fire Company and became its first president. He held that office until 1957, helping lead the volunteer organization through its formative years. His association with the company continued until 1978, reflecting a commitment to local fire protection that spanned more than three decades.
Burns brought that experience in community leadership into elected office. He served as a Bainbridge Township trustee from 1948 to 1954 and became president of the Geauga County Association of Trustees and Clerks. In January 1954, he was appointed to the Geauga County Board of Commissioners to fill an unexpired term. Voters elected him to the office that November, beginning an extended period of county service that continued through 1977.
As a Republican commissioner, Burns worked on the practical questions facing local government: the condition of county roads, the need for public facilities, and the administration of county services. He joined fellow commissioners in inspecting roads across the county and planning improvements to county offices and jail facilities. In his 1956 reelection campaign, he pledged continued county planning, good government, and keeping residents informed about public issues. He was elected chairman of the commissioners’ board in 1961 and also served as its representative to the county’s tuberculosis and health association.
Community life included occasions for celebration as well as official business. In 1950, Burns organized the parade for the Bainbridge Community Picnic, an event that brought thousands of people together. His participation in the picnic, the volunteer fire company, and local government placed him in many different parts of the community’s life.
William A. Burns died on March 9, 1988, at the age of 77. Shortly afterward, Bainbridge Township trustees formally recognized his dedication and community service. His record includes 23 years as a county commissioner, six years as a township trustee, and a founding role in an organization created to protect his neighbors.
His initials live on in WAB Strategic. They connect the company’s name to a history of local leadership and to the sustained work of serving a community over a lifetime.
