At the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools Board of Education organizational meeting Jan. 6, board members elected Mary Kay O'Toole as…
BOE Elects New President, VP
At the Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools Board of Education organizational meeting Jan. 6, board members elected Mary Kay O’Toole as president and Michael Hogan as vice president of the board.
“There is an incredible amount of personal commitment necessary to serve as a member of the Board of Education. These individuals must understand the realities and mandates of public education, while serving as a voice for the community in shaping the local school district,” said Superintendent Robert Hunt. “We are appreciative of the work of our outgoing officers and look forward to the leadership of Mrs. O’Toole and Mr. Hogan as we continue to work to provide a high quality, personalized education expected of our community.”
Three members of the board ran unopposed in the November election. Board members Mary Kay O’Toole, Anne Thomas and Rob Weber were sworn in at the January organizational meeting.
“Consistency in leadership is a critical factor in a successful school district,” said Hunt. “There is a balance of skill sets on our Board of Education and this continuity will ensure district initiatives continue to move forward.”
Mary Kay O’Toole was first elected as a member of the school board in November 2009. She is also a member of the policy committee and the facilities committee and serves as the board’s representative to PTO.
“I look forward to serving on the board of education for another four years, working to provide an educational experience that empowers students to maximize their potential, while adhering to the financial constraints of our budgets and the regulations given us by the state,” said O’Toole.
Mary Kay was an active participant with the schools before being elected to the board of education. She was a member of the school district’s audit committee for more than 12 years. She also served on both the school district’s 2004 and 2008 strategic planning committees. In addition, she has been an active supporter of all the major financial initiatives in the district by serving on the 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2012 levy committees as well as the 2005 bond committee.
She received her bachelor of science in accounting from John Carroll University in 1983 and was an Ohio certified public accountant. Mary Kay is currently the bookkeeper for the Taos Institute, a non-profit educational organization and was formerly an accountant with Peat Marwick (now KPMG).
Mary Kay has been very active in community organizations. She served as the PTO president for two years as well as being the treasurer for three additional years. Mary Kay is an active Booster Club and Music Lovers member. In addition, she is a parishioner of St. Joan of Arc Church and is member of the parish’s finance council.
She and her husband Martin have been residents of the school district for 20 years. They have been married for more than 30 years and have four children. Three have already graduated from Chagrin Falls High School: Maggie in 2003, Dan in 2005 and Erin in 2009. Their youngest, Shannon, is presently a senior in high school.
Michael Hogan was elected to his first term as a school board member in November 2011. He serves as the board’s representative to South Russell Village, the Recreation Council and is the legislative liaison and student achievement liaison (OSBA).
“I am honored to take on this new role. We have outstanding teachers, staff, parents and students and I am looking forward to continuing to help the district make strides towards excellence in education, despite ever-expanding state mandates, along with dwindling state resources,” said Hogan.
He was appointed in 2008 by the school district to the Alternative Funding Committee to evaluate the current state of school funding in the district and investigate possible alternatives that will stabilize the district’s financial support. He was also appointed in 2008 by the South Russell Village Council to the newly created parks committee for a two-year term to evaluate potential ways to effectively utilize newly acquired park land and make appropriate recommendations back to Village Council.
Michael received his masters in public administration in 2007 from Ohio University. He has worked for the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities in several capacities since 1987. Michael currently works in the behavioral health supports department as the behavioral outcomes administrator.
Michael and his wife Buffie have been married since 1993 and have resided in the school district for 13 years. He is active in the community and is a Federated Church Sunday school teacher and volunteer. They have two children. Charlie graduated from the high school in 2013 and is now a freshman at the University of Cincinnati and Brendan is a junior at the high school.
Scholastic Art, Writing Awards
Students from Chagrin middle and high schools received many awards from The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers’ annual Scholastic Art & Writings competition. They were honored at an awards ceremony and reception at the Cleveland Institute of Art on Jan. 11. Their artwork will be displayed in the Aitken Auditorium at the Cleveland Institute of Art, which is open to the public through the end of January.
At the ceremony, Natalie Krill, a sophomore who won three gold awards, received a Cleveland Institute of Art Recognition Award and a $40,000 scholarship.
The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, identifies teenagers with exceptional artistic and literary talent and brings their remarkable work to a national audience through
The awards are an important opportunity for students to be recognized for their creative talents. Each year, the Alliance partners with more than 100 regional affiliates across the country to bring the program to local communities. Teens in grades seven through 12 can apply in 28 categories of art and writing for the chance to earn scholarships and have their works exhibited or published. A panel of local professional artists and art educators jury the exhibit and selected the awarded pieces from nearly 1,700 entries.
The 47 students that were honored from Chagrin Falls include:
Gold Key winners: seniors Caroline Galicki (2) and Kiersten Pappas (2); sophomore Natalie Krill (3); and eighth-grader Lucy Ranieri. They will move on to the national competition.
Silver Key winners: seniors Julia Englhardt (3), Caroline Galicki (3), Ann Hopkins and Kiersten Pappas; juniors Genna Hughes, Gabby Vidmar and Sam Welch; and sophomores Natalie Krill and Collin Morell.
Honorable Mention winners: seniors Julia Englhardt (5), Caroline Galicki (6), Kiersten Pappas (3) and Anna Weber; juniors William Brant, Sarah Morrison, Sara Parker, Devon Riegel (2), Megan Vehar and Gabby Vidmar (2); sophomores Gretchen Goebel and Natalie Krill (3); eighth-grader Lucy Ranieri; and seventh-graders Hanna Bookman and Joely Chinnici.
