Harrington hopes to win seat

MILAN TWP. — Mark Harrington has served and continues to serve on several boards aimed at bettering his community. And now he wants to add Edison Schools to his personal list of supporting the public. To do this, he submitted the necessary paperwork to win a seat in November's election. He is one of seven candidates with eyes set on three open seats for the district's board of education. In preparation for the upcoming election, the Register has reached out to all Edison school board candidates so they can share information about themselves and their reasons for running. Here's what Harrington said: Q: Who are you? What is your professional background/qualifications for this position? MH: I'm a lifelong Erie County resident married to Kim, a retired second-grade teacher from Edison Elementary School. We've raised seven children, all of whom attended Edison Schools, and have six grandchildren, two of whom are current students in the district. After graduating from St. Mary's, I continued my education at John Carroll University and Ashland University where I earned a master of business administration degree. During my 44-year professional career, I served in leadership positions at international companies and gained invaluable experience in operations management, human resources, safety and security, labor relations and benefits. I've previously served as board president for Sandusky (Central) Catholic School, Holy Angels Parish, and I'm a current board member for the Erie County Board of Developmental Disabilities. Q: What is one issue or challenge within your school district, and, if elected, how do you plan to address it? MH: Edison has a long history of excellence in education, which can be attributed to the families, students, teachers, professional staff and the Milan and Berlin communities. Our buildings, however, do not reflect this excellence. The facilities have served us well, but times change — and so do the needs of the students, which include access/egress as well as safety and environmental issues within our classrooms. These issues are too large to expect the board or administrative staff to solve by themselves. It requires our communities to understand and contribute to the best solutions for our students. Therefore, I suggest a community task force consisting of district residents from the public and private sectors to review and make recommendations to our board. Most importantly, the process must be transparent, informative and accountable to the public. Q: What are three reasons you decided to run? MH: First and foremost, I feel it is the responsibility of every citizen to serve their communities and prepare them for future generations. Second, I want to use my experience as a businessman and community board member to help steer our schools through this transitional period and into a brighter future. Finally, I am a husband, father and grandfather in our community. I am passionate about our school system and want it not only to continue its excellent educational reputation but to expand and improve on what has made our school district not only one of the best in Erie and Huron counties but one of the finest in Ohio. Q: Why should the community vote for you? MH: Throughout my professional career and my experience on various boards, I've learned that the greatest attributes of leadership are to listen and ask questions providing input for decision-making processes. I pledge to listen and respect the opinions of our community, providing transparency regarding issues that are of most concern to our district's constituency. While it is true that school boards serve school districts, it is more important for Edison Schools to serve our community, reflecting our families and residents' desires. School board roundup In Edison Schools' school board race, seven people are competing for three seats: • There are three incumbents, Stephen Berry, Mark Suhanic and Samantha Limberios, who was recently appointed to her seat after Matthew McClester resigned. • They are against four challengers, Laura Dunn, Mark Harrington, William Muthig and Jacqui Rockwell. The top three vote-getters win four-year terms starting in January. There are two school board members — Patricia Cuthbertson and Brian Chase — whose seats are not up for election this term. They will continue their duties on the board until their terms expire in 2027. In-schools debate To learn more about each candidate and the issues important to them and the student body, watch the return of this year's in-schools debate series. Milan Town Hall will host the school board candidates on Oct. 12. The public is invited to attend this specific debate, but they can't ask questions on the day of this contest. Local students participating in the Edison Speech and Debate program through the Berlin Heights Kiwanis Club will be posing the questions to candidates. Viewers can check in at sanduskyregister.com and the Register's YouTube channel shortly after the event concludes. Community members can also submit questions for candidates ahead of time for the chance for them to be asked. Questions can be emailed to news@sanduskyregister.com. They must address all participants and cannot single out a specific candidate. The in-schools debate series is sponsored by the Greater Sandusky Partnership. Confirmed dates for this year's series: • Edison school board — Sunday, Oct. 12 • Perkins Township trustee — Tuesday, Oct. 14 • Sandusky school board — Wednesday, Oct. 15 • Sandusky city commission — Wednesday, Oct. 22