A member of the Dupo Board of Trustees is stepping into a temporary position as mayor following the recent resignation of the village’s leader.

Jerry Wilson announced his resignation early last week, sharing a letter to the village board in which he expressed his thanks for the support he has received as well as the “experiences and knowledge gains” through his seven years as mayor.

“I have come to the difficult decision that resigning is the best course of action for my family’s well-being due to health concerns that will require ongoing medical attention,” Wilson stated in his letter.

On July 29, village trustees held a special meeting to decide who would serve as Mayor Pro Tem until the April 2025 municipal election, with Trustee Dawn Keys being selected.

In an interview with the Republic-Times, Keys said she has been a lifelong resident of the village.

Having graduated from Dupo High School, she worked at Dairy Land in town as a teenager and ultimately came to own the restaurant when she purchased it at 22 years old.

Keys said her husband served the community as a chief of police for 32 years, and she was long comfortable to simply recognize his service and observe the community changing, though this changed upon his retirement in 2017.

“After he retired, my children were grown, and I felt like I needed to do something, so I went and ran for the village board,” Keys said.

Keys has served as a trustee for around three and a half years – she additionally recalled work done with the police department and in other areas of the community – and opted to throw her hat in the ring when the time came to decide who would be stepping in as temporary mayor.

She added that she was also interested in running for mayor in a coming election prior to Wilson’s resignation.

“I’ve got a lot of hopes and dreams for Dupo as a community to continue to grow and succeed,” Keys said.

Keys had kind things to say about Wilson and his time in office, adding she hopes to continue work on development including the long-awaited I-255 interchange.

“He’s looked out for the best interests of the citizens of Dupo,” Keys said. “I’d like to continue and keep moving forward with 255, and I’d love to see some businesses and more homes come up.”

Keys reiterated her interest in serving as mayor as she plans to officially run for the position in the April 2025 election.

She noted that, though there are trustees on the board with more experience in their positions, she is eager to get involved and take a very active role in overseeing the village.

“I’m not a ‘sit back’ kind of person,” Keys said. “I want to get things done, and I was just ready to get in there and try it.”