Andrew “Drew” Higgins said a love of politics led him to apply for the Miami County elections director job, but acknowledged he has a lot to learn about the “nuts and bolts” of running an election.

Higgins, 41, was hired Jan. 7 to take over the job vacated by Steve Quillen, who resigned abruptly in October just weeks before the presidential election.

Among Higgins’ first tasks from the elections board was attending the annual meeting of the Secretary of State and Association of Election officials that began Jan. 8 in Columbus.

Quillen, director since 2002, said in a brief hand written note that he was leaving due to the stress of the upcoming election. Bev Kendall, a long-time elections office staff member, served as interim director.

The board voted unanimously to hire Higgins, who lives in Piqua. The election board’s Republican members, Jose Lopez and Robert Huffman Jr, recommended him for the job.

Lopez said they received a half dozen resumes from people expressing an interest in the director’s job.

“We felt his qualifications were far superior and, by virtue of his employment at the courthouse, he was … perfectly suited for the job,” Lopez said.

Higgins’ salary was set at $40,000 to start with a review to be done in six months, board Chairman Roger Luring said.

Higgins is a graduate of Milton Union High School in West Milton and attended Edison Community College and Wright State University, receiving a degree in political science. He is a veteran of the Army.

“I always was interested in politics since my early 20s,” he said, adding he used the GI Bill to obtain his degree. “I got the degree but never really did anything with it.”

When the job came open, he made an inquiry and submitted a resume.

“I am more familiar with the other side of politics – the questioning, the petitioning – not the nuts and bolts of how this works. I am willing to learn,” Higgins said.

Higgins worked across the hall from the Board of Elections office in the historic county Courthouse since 2007. He was the Municipal Court laboratory technician, a job later combined with administrative assistant duties for the court.

Higgins said the elections office staff has shown that it can get the job done.

“I appreciate the staff. I have heard nothing but good things of them,” he said. “I cannot think of a better situation to come into than a staff that is prepared and as professional as them to help me through this transition.”