Olentangy Local Schools Board of Education President Julie Wagner Feasel announced August 3 that Stacy Dunbar was unanimously selected to fill a vacant seat on the board. “Ms. Dunbar is a dedicated community member with a vast array of business and community experiences who will be able to contribute immediately,” said Feasel.
Dunbar was sworn in as a member of the board during the August 4 meeting.
Dunbar is a Change Management Leader for Ashland Inc. and previously served as the Vice President of Marketing for Team America. She holds a bachelors degree in business and communications from Point Loma University in San Diego, California and a masters degree in education from the University of Illinois – Urbana in Champaign, Illinois.
In addition to her professional experiences, she volunteers with Big Brothers and Big Sisters, Adopt-a-highway, mentorship of a sixth grade student in South Western City Schools, serves as a board member for the Powell Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and Friends of COSI. Dunbar also has a strong history of community involvement with Olentangy Local Schools. She served as a volunteer with Olentangy For Kids (OFK) since 2002 including serving on the strategy team. She is a founding member and community chair of the Superintendent’s Communications Committee and an active volunteer at Olentangy Liberty High School (OLHS). In 2006, Dunbar applied for a vacant seat on the Olentangy school board and later ran for the board in 2007.
The process to fill this vacant seat began on July 6 when former member Jennifer Smith resigned. Under Ohio Revised Code, the remaining members of the board may fill a vacancy within a window period of 10 to 30 days following the date on which the vacancy occurs. The board discussed the process to fill this vacancy during its July 8 business meeting. More than 76 community members submitted applications to fill the vacant seat. On July 13, board members reviewed all of the applications during a special executive session meeting. On July 30, the board announced four finalists who were then interviewed on August 3 by the board during a special meeting.
“This has been a challenging and exciting process,” said Feasel. “Olentangy Local Schools is fortunate to have so many talented community members who are willing to serve our schools. The entire school board hopes that any one who applied for this seat will continue to or become further involved with the school district.”
Dunbar will fill the remaining 1.5 years of Smith’s unexpired term, which ends on December 31, 2011. Smith served 2.5 years of her four-year term.