4 More Join the Bid for 2 Health Board Seats
Four more candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for two open spots on the Geauga County Board of Health.
Four more candidates have thrown their hats into the ring for two open spots on the Geauga County Board of Health.
Applications for a five-year term concluding in March 2030 and a two-year term concluding in March 2027 closed Feb. 26 and interviews were set to take place March 5. The Health District Advisory Council will take a final vote on March 12.
Applicants were asked to submit both a letter of intent and a resume.
Three applications previously reported on were Brakey Energy President Matt Brakey, former health board member Lynn Roman and University Hospitals nurse Christine Sutter.
The four newest are:
- Rich Dietke, a retired Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Transit Coach Mechanic Dietke, is seeking either seat. In his 33-year career, he dealt with many Environmental Protection Agency rulings and regulations, he said in his email to HDAC. A 1982 graduate of Berea High School and Polaris Technical School, he has completed training courses on high pressure natural gas safety, personal protective equipment, hazardous materials and OSHA regulations, among others. Dietke described himself as analytical and said he works well with others. He is looking to make Newbury Township his home for the rest of his life and wants to see the county be a safe place to live, he said.
- Erika Kura is a self-described trauma-informed digital marketer, social worker and public health professional. She is open to either position, with a preference for the two-year term. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2024 with master’s degrees in both social work and public health, and graduated from John Carroll University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in communication and theatre arts. Kura serves as a board member on Ravenwood Health’s Development Committee and a volunteer at the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. She also owns a digital marketing consulting business and has significant marketing experience. Kura boasts multiple certifications regarding trauma and sexual assault, and has a long history of outreach on the subject, having been interviewed numerous times. She currently sports 34,000 followers on social media app TikTok, where she discusses topics such as sexual violence and public health.
- Melissa Brenner is a staff nurse in the medical and cardiac intensive care unit at VA Northeast Ohio. She is opting for the two-year term. Brenner achieved her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Ohio University in 2021 and her associate’s degree in nursing from Cuyahoga Community College in 2012.
She has previously worked at Ahuja Medical Center as a staff nurse on the intensive care unit and resident care assistant at residential care facility Kemper House, where she worked with patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Brenner lists preventative care and health education as two of her passions, and describes them as essential components of effective public health strategies. With experience at both private and federally funded facilities, Brenner describes herself as having a unique understanding of both types of organizations, and says her time as a federal employee has given her a unique understanding of the functionality of government-led initiatives. - Dyanne Giammaria is a registered nurse on the Cleveland Clinic Main Campus and is seeking either the two-year or five-year term. She graduated cuma laude in 2010, and has previous experience as a physical therapy aide, as well as in pediatrics, rheumatology and cardiology, among others. Giammaria moved to Geauga County in 2017 and said she loves the culture, atmosphere and dynamics. She wants to give back and feels being part of the health community is the best way to serve her goals.
