ASHLAND – Ten candidates have thrown their hats in the ring to be considered for the open seat on Ashland City Council.
The chosen candidate will replace Matt Miller, who resigned his seat as at-large council member in order to assume his new position as the city’s mayor. The unexpired council term runs through 2019.
Candidates who submitted letters of interest by the deadline Tuesday include Sandy Bally, Christine Box, Scott Brown, Duane Fishpaw, Matthew Gorrell, Mitch Johnson, Dan Lawson, Pam Mowry, Shane Ross and Paul Stevenson.
Bally’s work experience includes jobs as a senior project engineer at Delphi Automotive Systems and as a quality engineer at Sulzer Friction Systems. Most recently, she ran a small business called Slender Now that specialized in body wraps. All three positions were in the Dayton area, where Bally was active on the City of Oakwood’s environmental committee and served as transportation manager for a high school band. Bally ran for the council’s fourth ward seat in the 2017 election but lost to Al Farnam.
Box is director of operations at the Ashland Historical Society, a role she has held for 11 years. Prior to that, she was business manager for the YMCA. She serves on the board of the Ashland Area Chamber of Commerce, the Ashland Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Trinity Lutheran Church and Ashland Symphony Orchestra.
Brown is an insurance agent at Spreng-Smith Agency in Ashland. Prior to starting there in 1990, he was a manager at Hawkins Market. His involvement in local civic organizations and activities includes past president of DR Services, past chairman of Ashland BalloonFest, past president of the Ashland Historical Society and past president of Kiwanis Club of Ashland, among others.
Fishpaw was mayor of Ashland from January through December 2017, stepping in to replace Glen Stewart, who retired. Prior to that, Fishpaw served on city council since 2012 after retiring from the city as assistant fire chief in 2011. In addition to his 37-year career as a firefighter in Ashland, Fishpaw is a U.S. Navy veteran.
Gorrell is a claims manager for Risk International. His previous employers include Western Reserve Group, Enterprise Rent-A-car, Plymouth Technology and Ashland Chemical Inc.
Johnson is building maintenance superintendent at Mansfield Correctional Institution and owner of J & H Lawncare & Snowplowing. He is active on the Ashland County Fair Board, where he has served as as fair director and vice president of the executive board.
Lawson is associate vice president of corporate relations at Ashland University. He has worked for the university since 2003, serving previously as dean of the Center of Religious Life, director of leadership development, development officer, and associate vice president of institutional advancement. His community involvement includes teaching and advising for Leadership Ashland and helping lead United Way fundraising campaigns.
Mowry’s work experience includes serving as office manager of Eagleview Apartments in 2013. Prior to that, she was an administrative assistant for Humana MarketPoint and was director of Leadership Ashland from 2005 through 2008. She is active as a volunteer at Trinity Lutheran Church, chairs the Ashland County Mental Health and Recovery Board and serves on the board of North Central State College. She has served on the board of United Way of Ashland County and Hospice of North Central Ohio and is active in the local Republican Party.
Ross is an engineer and project manager at Custom Control technologies as well as an adjunct professor at North Central State College. Prior to starting those jobs in 2017, he worked as a project manager at CenturyLink, where he was employed since 1995.
Stevenson has worked at Bookmasters since 1993, with roles including secretary, sales assistant, pricing manager, operations manager of sales and pricing, operations analyst and estimating and job planning manager. He also leads a men’s ministry at Lighthouse Pentecostal Assembly. Stevenson has been attending council meetings for three years and ran for the Ward 2 council seat in 2017 but was defeated by incumbent Bob Valentine.
After reviewing resumes and letters of interest for each candidate, the four current council members plan to hold interviews prior to making their appointment. Interview dates have not been set, and the council members did not discuss the interview process at their meeting Tuesday.
