Board Bios

Thom Jones

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President

Thom Jones graduated in 1992 from Marietta College with a degree in Political Science. He also earned his Masters in Education Administration from Ashland University.  Thom is currently the principal at Dublin Grizzell Middle School in Dover, OH. He was principal at Dover Middle School and Garaway Middle School. He has a wife, Debbie, and three children; Ally, Jack, and Anne.

Nancy Poliseno

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Past President
 
Nancy has over 20 years experience as a middle level teacher.  She has served on the OMLA Executive Board for over ten years as the newsletter editor and an associate regional representative. Nancy also serves on the National Middle School Association Executive Board as the Teacher-Trustee for the North/West Regions. She received her Bachelor's of Education degree from Kent State University and her Master's degree in Technology from Walden University. 

Teacher Grade 8
Orange Middle School, Lewis Center, Ohio

Nancy has received the following commendations for her implementation of middle level practices in the classroom and community:

• State American Legion Teacher of the Year 2004
• Commendation Ohio House of Representatives 2001, 2004
• Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers 2002
• Ohio Middle School Educator of the Year 2001
• District Teacher of the Year Nominee 1997-2005

Eric Jurkovic

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President Elect

Eric Jurkovic graduated from Muskingum College in 1995 with a degree in Elementary Education.  He received his Masters in Administration from Ashland University in 2001.  Eric has been with the Indian Valley Local Schools for 14 yrs.  The last 6 yrs he has served as Middle School Principal.  Eric and his wife Kimberly have two daughters Samantha and Allison.

 

Lorri Kubaszewski

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Vice President

Lorrie has over 27 years experience as a middle level educator. Currently, she teaches 7th and 8th grade Language Arts and acts as the Department Head at Troy Junior High in Troy, Ohio.

Lorrie received her Bachelor's degree from Wright State University and her Master's degree in Technology in Education from the University of Dayton. In addition, she completed The Ohio Writing Project through Miami University and acted as the president of their Advisory Council for two years.

During her tenure she has coached Power of the Pen teams, worked with the student council as an advisor, and coached sports at the high school and middle school level. While working to deliver the best practices for middle level students, Lorrie has received recognition for her efforts. In 1996, Troy Area Chamber of Commerce  recognized her as the Young Educator of the Year. Among other recognitions, she earned the Golden Apple Award from the Ashland Company and is a Martha Holden Jennings Scholar recipient. Lorrie has been recognized with awards nominated by students such as the Ray Kroc Award and Excellence in Education Award.

Lorrie has served several years on the OMLA Executive Board as the West Region Representative until she accepted her current role as Vice-President.

Shannon Federinko

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Secretary

Shannon Federinko is the Associate Principal at Claggett Middle School in Medina, Ohio.  She has taught Math and Science in the 6-8 grade levels and has been a middle level educator, primarily at Claggett Middle School for 15 years.  She has served on the OMLA Board for 11 years and has served as Executive Board Secretary for 9 years.  She has been recognized as a Jennings Scholar, and has received the Medina City Schools Excellence in Teaching Award, Claggett Middle School’s Golden Apple Award, and OMLA’s Educator of the Year Award.  She has presented in various locations on Teaming, Recognition, and Student-Led Conferences. 

 

 

Dona Gardner Klein

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Executive Secretary

Joining the OMSA Executive Board in 1998 as a Southwest Regional Rep, Dona has served three terms as Vice-president and is currently the Executive Secretary. Her professional experiences include local, state, and national conference presentations, Principal of Nagel MS in the Cincinnati area, Vail MS Prinicpal, Secondary Curriculum Coordinator, and high school assistant principal in the Middletown City School District, and middle level science teacher in the Hamilton City School District.

 

Paul Destino

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Treasurer

Paul Destino is currently the Principal at Mayfield Middle School.  Prior to Mayfield, Paul served as an assistant principal at Wiley Middle School and a  teacher at Monticello Middle School, both in the Cleveland Heights University Heights City School District.  Paul is a true advocate for the middle level child and has spent the past 12 years in middle level education.  Paul has been active with OMSA on both the regional and state level, most recently serving on the OMSA executive board.

Mark Doebrich

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Southeast Region

Mark is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. Mark has been an educator for thirty years, having taught Science at the middle and high school levels in addition to having served as an administrator in the middle and high school levels. Mark resides in Marietta with his wife, Lynn. Mark’s three adult children attend college in his hometown of Cincinnati.

Robert Sehlhorst

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Southwest Region

Since 1982, Bob Sehlhorst has been a teacher, coach, athletic director, and principal at the elementary and middle school levels. He currently serves as prinicpal of Rapid Run Middle School, a National and Ohio "School To Watch" and a National PTA "School of Excellence"

 

Tim Spinner

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Southwest Region

Tim graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science in Education Degree in the year 2000.  Following graduation, he taught Language Arts at Lebanon High School in the Lebanon City School District for 6 years.  After earning his Master of Education Degree from the University of Cincinnati in 2003, Tim served as a High School Assistant Principal at Edgewood High School in the Edgewood City School District for 2 years before moving into his current role as Edgewood Middle School Principal.  He currently resides in Lebanon with his wife Vickey and daughter Daly.

 

Nicki Bertke

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West Region

Nicki is a 2003 graduate of the University of Dayton in Middle Childhood Education with concentrations in Math & Science. She is a 7th grade math teacher at Troy Junior High School.

 

 

Kathy McKinniss

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Central Region

Kathy McKinniss currently serves as the principal at Bunsold Middle School in the Marysville Exempted Village School District. Prior to this position Kathy has worked in the middle level as a social studies and history teacher, a guidance counselor, an assistant principal and an athletic director.

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Beth Nicol

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Central Region

Beth Nicol is a School Counselor at Grant Middle School in Marion.  Prior to counseling, she taught several years as a Middle School Family and Consumer Science Teacher.  Beth serves on the Building Leadership Team, LPDC, and the Data Management Team.  She has her masters degree in Administration and School Counseling.

Tim McCrate

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East Region

Tim is a graduate of The Ohio State University in Social Studies Education in 1995, and Ashland University in 2006. Tim taught Social Studies and coached at Dover H.S. from 1995 to 2006. Since 2006, Tim has been Middle School Principal at Tusky Valley. Tim currently lives in Dover with his wife Karie, who is also a Prinicpal, and their three children, Will, Meghan, and Bridget.

 

Tammy Darrow

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Northwest Region

Tammy earned her undergraduate degree from Baldwin Wallace College and a Masters degree in Educational Administration from Bowling Green State University.  Teaching Health, Physical Education, and Business classes from 1995 - 2001, she became Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Hicksville Middle School/High School and served in this role for 7 years. Currently, Tammy serves at the Curriculum Director for Bryan City Schools and has served on the Board since 2008.

Jay Clark

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Northwest Region

Jay Clark earned his Bachelor's in Music Education and Master's in Educational Administration from Bowling Green State University. He is currently serving as principal at Van Buren Middle School in the Van Buren local district and has held positions in the Findlay City and Carey Exempted Village districts. He lives in Findlay with his wife and four children.

 

Dean Janitzki

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North Central Region

Dean has been an educator for the past 32 years, and has been a middle level educator for the past 20 years. During his middle school years he has also been the middle level rep to the OASSA Board from 2006-2008. He has served on the OMLA Board since 2004.

 

Kerry Steffanni

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North Central Region

Kerry Steffanni graduated with her BA from Ashland University and earned her masters from BGSU. She has been teaching 5th grade language arts and science at Main Street Intermediate School in Norwalk since 2004. She enjoys spending time with her family, playing/watching sports and listening to music. She resides in Norwalk with her husband Sean and their five children.

Jerome M. Davis

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North Central Region

Jerome M. Davis has been working in education since 1993. He began his teaching career with the Lorain City Schools. He is currently the principal of Durling Middle School which is a part of the Clearview Local School District. He now serves as the regional representative for the NC region. Jerome received his B.S. in Education from BGSU. He received his Masters in Curriculum and Instruction and Administration from Ashland University. He then returned to BGSU where he received his Superintentent's license.

 

Carol Yost

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Northeast Region

Carol earned an undergraduate degree in Education from Louisiana Tech University and a masters degree in Administration from the University of Akron. She taught middle school in Louisiana and Ohio from 1991-2001.  She has been the Principal at Visintainer Middle School in Brunswick since 2001. She resides in Medina with her husband and two children.

 

Rebecca Reese

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Northeast Region

Rebecca has been teaching since 1992. She taught 6th grade science from 1992 and is currently teaching 8th grade science at Hudson Middle School. She has served on the Ohio Middle Level Association board since 1996 and is currently a NE Associate Representative.

 

 

Tom Burton

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Northeast Region

Tom Burton is presently the principal at Cuyahoga Heights Middle School.  Prior to CHMS he was principal at Willowick Middle School and taught and coached in Cleveland Heights at Monticello Middle School. He currently lives in Bainbridge with his wife Franca and three children.

Kirk Pavelich

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Northeast Region

Kirk Pavelich currently serves as the principal at North Royalton Middle School, a position he has held since 2009. He previously served as the principal at Main Street Intermediate School in the Norwalk City School District for five years. Prior to that, Kirk was an assistant principal at Norwalk High School and a teacher and coach in the Stow-Munroe Falls and Jefferson Area School Districts. He resides in Norwalk with his wife and three children.

 

Jim Wilson

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Website Coordinator

Jim Wilson is currently the Director of Instruction for the Zanesville City Schools.  Jim has served on the board since 2006. He began his teaching career in 1987 at Meadowbrook High School in southeast Ohio. He then moved his wife, Nanette and daughters, Amanda and Erin to Virginia for a year and then to southwest Ohio. There he was the head wrestling coach at Turpin High School.  In 1999 he joined the administrative team in Maumee where he served as an Assistant Principal and a Principal until 2010.   He is a graduate of Marietta College (BA), The United States Sports Academy (MSS), and The University of Cincinnati (M.ED.). Jim serves as the website coordinator for the OMLA.

Colin Veatch

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Collegiate Liaison

Colin currently attends Bowling Green State University.  He is a graduate of Worthington Kilbourne High School.  He is the vice president of phi kappa psi majors in middle child education with a concentration in social studies and science.

Nancy Fordham

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University Liaison

Information to be uploaded soon.

James Harbuck

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Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators Liaison

James joined the staff of The Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators in July 1997 as Associate Executive Director and served in that capacity until July, 2008 when he became Executive Director. He began his career in education as an English teacher and coach in the Cleveland City School District at Thomas Edison Occupational High School. He later moved to the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School district and spent the last 26 years of his career at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School (BBHHS) where he taught all grades and levels of English courses and was the varsity wrestling coach for 12 years before moving into building administration. He worked as an assistant principal from 1984 through 1990, and principal of the building from 1990 through 2007, when he retired to join OASSA. During his time at BBHHS, he was on the OASSA Board of Directors as Zone 7 Director and later was elected to be President of the organization.

 

Santo Pino

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National Middle School Association Liaison

Information to be uploaded soon.

Lucy Ozvat

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Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators Liaison

Information to be uploaded soon.


Marcia Barnhart

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Ohio Department of Education Liaison

Bachelor’s Degree, OSU, Secondary English Education
Master’s Degree, OSU,  Educational Policy and Leadership
 
Taught high school English for 18 years and middle school for one year.
Assistant principal for middle school for one year.
 
Current position with ODE: English Language Arts Consultant (4 years)
Responsibilities  include
·         Content expertise for grades 6 and 7 reading and writing assessments
·         Content expertise for Grades 6 – 12 curriculum.