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Auditor of State Mary Taylor announced appointments to the Auditor of State’s Northeastern Ohio Regional Advisory Board.  This is one of eight boards that Taylor is establishing throughout the state. 

“It is essential that we stay in touch with the people we serve,” Taylor said. “This gives us the opportunity to meet in person periodically with those in the best position to tell us how we can better assist them.”
 
The regional advisory board meetings provide local officials a forum to discuss major issues facing their communities that involve interaction with the Auditor of State’s Office. The boards are part of Taylor’s continued commitment to better serve local governments. 

Each board has representatives from every type of local government - county and city officials, township officials, school treasurers and local independent public accountants. The meetings will also provide local government entities with up-to-date government accounting regulations. 

The Northeastern Ohio Regional Advisory Board will meet for the first time today with the following officials:

Jack Pierson, Treasurer, Akron Public Schools
Pierson has served as treasurer for the past fourteen years. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Youngstown State University and master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Akron.

Jeff Knoblauch, CPA, Finance Director, City of Hudson
Knoblauch has served as finance director for the past eight years. He is a graduate of Ohio Dominican University and has both private sector experience as a manager at the accounting firm Ciuni & Panichi, Inc, and public sector experience as a deputy auditor in Ohio Auditor of State’s Columbus Region.

Dan Croghan, Mayor, City of Green
Croghan has served as mayor since 2000. He is a graduate of Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in economics and he also received a master’s degree in economics from the University of Akron. He has been an integral part of the Green community since its inception in 1992, serving as a member of the school board, charter commission, village council and finally as mayor. Croghan was a former director of logistics at General Tire.

Don Robart, Mayor, City of Cuyahoga Falls
Robart is currently serving his sixth term as the mayor. He is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and has lead the revitalization of the city of Cuyahoga Falls, helping turn the city’s downtown into one of the most popular places to be in the county.

Jim Nelson, Bath Township Trustee
Nelson is currently serving his third term as township trustee. He serves as the president of the Summit County Township Association and is active with the Akron, Bath, and Copley Joint District Hospital Board where he also serves as chairman.

Pat Dropsey, Richland County Auditor
Dropsey has served as county auditor since 2001. Previously, he was the Richland County chief deputy auditor and worked in the Auditor of State’s Office. He is a graduate of North Central State College.

Sharon Ray, Medina County Commissioner
Ray is serving her second term as commissioner. Her previous work experience includes five years on Wadsworth City Council and six years as bailiff for Wadsworth Municipal Court.  She is a graduate of the University of Akron.

Chris Nichols, Canton Township Trustee
Nichols is serving his second term as township trustee.  He currently serves on the Clean Ohio Council as a representative of Ohio’s 1,308 townships and is the director of facility costs for First Communications. He is a graduate of the Stark County Leadership program.

Larry Morgan, Superintendent, Stark County Educational Service Center
Morgan has served as superintendent of the Stark County Educational Service Center for the past 12 years. He also serves as superintendent for R.G. Drage Career Education Center. His previous experience includes 10 years as a school treasurer, 10 years as a school superintendent, and 10 years as an assistant superintendent.

Janet Weir Creighton, Mayor, City of Canton
Creighton is in her first term as mayor. She previously served as Stark County Auditor and Stark County Recorder. As a community leader, she has received numerous honors and awards and is involved with many civic organizations.

Scott Varney, CPA, Principal of Varney, Fink & Associates, Inc.
Varney has been providing auditing and consulting services for state and local governments and nonprofit organizations for the past 20 years. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Government Finance Officers Association, the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Ohio Association of Public Treasurers.

Dan Watson, CPA, Rea & Associates
Watson manages the Medina office of Rea & Associates and has over 27 years of experience in the industry. He is a graduate of University of Akron and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Government Finance Officers Association.

Richard Shisler, Baughman Township Trustee
Shisler has served as trustee for 12 years. He also sits on the board of directors for the Wayne County Public Library and on the Wayne Medina Community Action Board. For the past 16 years he has worked as a Nationwide Insurance agent.

Keith H. Dirham, Finance Director, City of Medina
Dirham has served as finance director since 2002. He has previous experience in the Auditor of State’s Office and is the current president of the North Central Ohio Municipal Finance Officers Association. He is a member of Government Finance Officers Association, the Ohio Society of Certified Public Accountants and is a graduate of the Ohio State University.

Lynda Bowers, Lafayette Township Trustee
Bowers is in her third term as township trustee. She also works as a real estate broker and is involved in numerous community organizations in Medina County. She received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Akron and master’s degree from Kent State University. She is also a graduate of the JoAnn Davidson Leadership Institute.

Kim Edwards, Ashland County Commissioner
Prior to being elected commissioner, Edwards spent 16 years representing the Village of Hayesville as its mayor, clerk treasurer and councilwoman. She also served on the Hillsdale Local Schools Board of Education and the West Holmes Joint Vocational School Board.

Phil Leibolt, Ashland County Auditor
Leibolt is serving his third term as auditor. He worked in the county auditor’s office for eight years prior to becoming county auditor. He also has 15 years of experience working in the accounting department at Ohio Brass. He is a graduate of Ashland University with a degree in accounting.

Jackie McKee, Holmes County Auditor
McKee is serving her third term as auditor. She also served two terms as the Ripley Township Fiscal Officer. She is a graduate of the University of Akron and has 23 years of accounting experience. She serves on the legislative committee for the County Auditor’s Association of Ohio.

Beth Gundy, City Auditor, City of New Philadelphia
Gundy is finishing her third term as city auditor. She received a bachelor’s degree from the Ohio State University.

Alex Zumbar, City Auditor, City of Alliance
Zumbar took office in January, 2004. Prior to that, he worked as administrative assistant to Stark County Common Pleas Court Judge Charles E. Brown, Jr. and served on the Alliance City Council for seven years.

Anna Capaldi, CPA, Perry Township Trustee
Capaldi took office in January, 2005 and is a tax manager for the regional public accounting firm of Bruner-Cox LLP. She also chairs the board for Leadership Stark County. She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting and master’s degree in taxation from the University of Akron.

Cindy Meismer, Fiscal Officer, Lawrence Township
Meismer is finishing her first term as fiscal officer.

Matt Judy, Tuscarawas County Auditor
Judy is in his third term as auditor. He worked in the county auditor’s office prior to being elected and has served as treasurer for Conotton Valley Schools. He is a graduate of The Ohio State University.

Jarra Underwood, Wayne County Auditor
Underwood is serving her third term as auditor. She worked in the county auditor’s office for 18 years prior to being elected. She currently serves as president of the County Auditor’s Association of Ohio.

Lois Murphy, Coshocton County Auditor
Along with serving as the county auditor, Murphy is a trustee for the Bachert Fund, and is a member of Pomerene Fine Arts Center, Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum and Sacred Heart Church.  She is the past president of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

The Ohio Auditor of State’s Office is one of the largest accounting offices in the nation.  The office strives to ensure that all public funds are spent legally and appropriately and works aggressively to root out fraud, waste and abuse in public spending. Taylor encourages anyone suspecting fraud or misspending of public dollars to contact her office toll free at 1-866-FRAUD-OH (1-866-372-8364).

For more information about the State Auditor’s Office, please visit: www.auditor.state.oh.us.

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