local leadership experience

As a township trustee

I made my first endeavor in politics back in 2014 when I ran for the position of Marion Township Trustee, and am now in my third term. Through this experience I have gotten to know the good folks of Marion Township, as well as those with whom I serve as trustee. Doing the work necessary to keep the township in good shape means plowing the roads, keeping the roads unobstructed and clear of debris, mowing, cemetery work, and general upkeep of the township. It also means working within the budget in order to do the necessary equipment and infrastructure repairs and upgrades, and being available to the public to address concerns. I’ve learned a lot about Marion Township and the folks that live here. It’s my delight to serve them to the best of my ability.

As the first village administrator of Alger

Von Summa, the forward-thinking mayor of Alger, asked me to be the first Alger Village Administrator in December of 2018. I had no experience as a public official, so much of my first year was spent reading, asking questions, and learning how a village operates. I gained much wisdom from Jamie Hall, the Ada village administrator, and Wes Davis, the village administrator of Forest. Both of these men took me under their wing, answered my questions, and shared valuable insights with me. I am very grateful for the time they both spent helping me learn this important position.

I immediately began studying the history of Alger—their budget, the 40-year-old wastewater facility, the 20-year-old water plant, and the overall infrastructure of the village. In my research, I found that due to the age of the facilities, the infrastructure was in much need of repair and upgrade, mainly as a result of neglect due to lack of funding. Alger is a small community that is required to answer to the EPA concerning the regulations in place to ensure safe drinking water and the proper treatment of waste water, as do all villages. In order to stay compliant to regulatory mandates, I worked closely with the EPA, and maintained open communication with our water and waste water superintendents. I often worked with several county officials on a regular basis, including Mark Doll, Director of Hardin County Regional Planning, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), Luke Underwood, Hardin County Engineer, Mike Bacon, Hardin County Auditor, and the Board of County Commissioners in order to create opportunities for infrastructure upgrades.

After studying Alger’s budget history, I presented a plan to the village council as to how we can generate a fund dedicated to infrastructure repairs and upgrades to the facilities, and received approval from council to implement the fund. We then communicated the plan with the public, and implemented the “enterprise fund”, which maintains and upgrades the critical infrastructure of water and sewer services, while maintaining the lowest utility rates in Hardin County. The fund accumulates monies that will revitalize Alger’s infrastructure and will be able to match necessary state grant monies as opportunities arise. Implementing this budget line item enabled us to pursue a $1.2 million grant opportunity to dredge the wastewater lagoons.

I also have been able to acquire three grants in three years totaling more than $75,000 through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) for major park upgrades, with the help of State Representative Jon Cross.