Trending
LEETONIA - Leetonia school district residents will have four candidates from which to choose on the November ballot.
Incumbents Larry Duko and Michael Henderson will be joined by Mike Bryan and Christina Bulford on the ballot. Incumbent Michael Rulli will not run for re-election as he focuses on his campaign for the state senate in 2018.
Mike Bryan
An honors graduate from Leetonia High School, Bryan is currently a firefighter/EMT with the Salem Fire Department since 2005. He is a member of the International Association of Firefighters Local 283 in Salem, which offers a program providing Salem residents smoke detectors, and the Free and Accepted Masons Lodge 401 in Leetonia. He is also a substitute bus driver for the Leetonia school district.
While at Leetonia high school, Bryan's studies and extracurricular activities earned him a spot on the "Who's Who Among American High School Students" while he finished 11th in the class of 1994. After high school, Bryan attended Malone, Kent State, Stark State and Youngstown State universities to study graphic design. He earned his firefighter certifications at both Stark State and the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center and his EMT certification at YSU. He also holds numerous certifications related to his career as a professional firefighter and a valid CPR card and class B CDL driver's license with school bus and passenger endorsements.
Bryan previously served as a volunteer firefighter in Washingtonville and Leetonia and as a career firefighter in Warren. His community activities included lessons learned through the Leetonia/Washingtonville Cub Scout Pack 37, for which he eventually served five years as scoutmaster, a version of Students Against Drunk Driving and his current position as an assistant soccer coach with the Leetonia Area Sports Association.
This year marks Bryan's second attempt at the school board. He said as a firefighter, he is a team player, good communicator, listener and mediator, never hesitating to put others above himself. He said he has had to use information at hand to make quick decisions to achieve the best results. As a union member, he said he understands contract negotiations and can help bring everybody together to reach their goals.
Additionally, as a bus driver and parent, Bryan said he is invested in the district with an understanding for student safety while being able to bring his experience in the public sector to effectively communicate his ideas and thoughts with the knowledge of how to listen to their needs.
Bryan said he is running for school board again because he wants to the best of both his children and the children of other residents. He said he believes in the school employees and wants the opportunity to work with them and meet their needs in the classroom.
He said he has fresh ideas that he can bring to board to continue positive growth, "not just in the classroom, but in the community."
Having twice moved away and returned to the community, Bryan said he has a deep appreciation for the Washingtonville/Leetonia area that helped raise him. He said he will not make promises he cannot keep, but instead present ideas that put the students first, continue student growth, strengthen bond within the community and promote responsible spending.
"We are not building a product. What we are doing is preparing the next generation of model citizens," he said. "The school board is providing customer service to our community - that service is an education, which is a priceless gift to our youth."
Bryan has resided at his Ridge Street home the past nine years with his children, second grader Jacob and first grader Taylor.
Christina Bulford
Currently the human resource director at Rick's Ranchwear for almost four years, Bulford has been a human resource professional in the area the past 12 years. She graduated from Salem High School and earned a bachelor's degree from Youngstown State University. She holds a PHR certification and SHRM-SCP designation.
Bulford is currently active with the Leetonia Little Bears and is a member of the St. Patrick Catholic Church where she teaches CCD.
Having run an unsuccessful campaign for school board two years ago, Bulford said she is seeking a position on the board because her experience in business and human resources has provided her knowledge of strategic planning, budgets, change management, benefits, development and implementation of policies and procedures, as well as operations.
"In my current position - we have eight stores throughout three states - I understand that communication is a major component to the success of any organization," she said. "I have the ability to make unbiased decisions based on what is right for everyone. I am transparent, reliable, and dedicated.
"I want to serve our community, and I feel that contributing to our future generations as a member of the school board is a great way to serve."
Bulford described herself as committed, hardworking and thorough.
"I will work with other board members to build partnerships, sustain the school's progress through continuous improvement; maintain strong ethical standards; and seek answers to questions and challenges as they arise," she said. "The education of the children in our district will be my primary focus."
Bulford lives with her husband Kevin and their two children, Andrew, 13; and Ryan, 10, on Main Street.
Larry Duko
A lifelong resident of Leetonia and incumbent of the school board, Duko graduated from Leetonia High School and holds an accounting degree from Youngstown State University and previous certification as school treasurer. He has 18 years experience on the school board over two terms, plus nine years on the Columbiana County Career and Technical Center school board, eight years on the Leetonia Community Public Library board and six years on the Leetonia Village Tax Incentive Committee. He is also a member of the St. Patrick's parish.
Currently a supply chain manager at Arconic in Niles, a manufacturer of titanium with nearly half a billion dollars in annual sales, Duko has worked as an auditor for the state, auditing schools districts, cities and various other public entities, and has experience with budgeting, forecasting, statistical analysis and inventory management.
Since his graduation from college, Duko has been involved with the district in some capacity almost every year, serving as a paid coach, volunteer coach, board member, levy committee member and ticket taker. He also supported the schools superintendent with data analysis used in discussions with state subcommittees that resulted in changes to the state budget and additional money for the district.
Citing his experience in accounting and auditing, Duko said he has the ability to assist with budgeting and other financial aspects of the district. He noted he has served on a variety of leadership teams at Arconic, and as such is familiar with the team leadership concept, a role the school board should play in the school management process. He also noted his children are already grown and a school board can benefit from having members who do not have current students, getting a different point-of-view in the decision making process.
As a member of the school board, Duko said board accomplishments serving the needs of all students are attained as a team and sustained by the front line administrators, teaching staff and other support professionals. He said his time on the board, however, has been highlighted by technology (Chromebooks for the eighth-grade class the past two years, server upgrades, wireless network expansion discussions and a technology plan to be reviewed annually), curriculum (STEM program that provides students the opportunity to earn industrial recognized credits in manufacturing skills) and public relations (remaining transparent in actions by purchasing BoardDocs software, participating in the state's "checkbook" project and providing taxpayers access to the district's expenditure history).
Additionally during his tenure, the board has partnered with the village to secure a school resource office and hired a new elementary guidance counselor to focus on a bully intervention program. The board has also helped maintain a responsible cash balance while negotiating a three-year contract with both certified and classified unions and administrators.
Duko lives with his wife on York Street. They have to children who both graduated from Leetonia High School.
Michael Henderson
A 1993 graduate of Leetonia High School, Henderson holds a bachelor's degree in computer science from Youngstown State University and a master's of business administration from The Ohio State University. He has been employed at Hunt Valve in Salem for 21 years. He is also a member of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Leetonia and is a youth sports coach in basketball and baseball.
Vice president of the school board this year, Henderson is seeking his second term. He said he wants to continue to work with the administration, teachers, staff and student to not only improve the school but the community, as well.
"I want to continue to help make the school the best it can be," he said.
With experience in finance, labor negotiations and policy implementation, Henderson said he can continue to benefit the board. He cited his responsibilities with his company including product delivery, quality assurance and financial reporting require strict adherence to rules set by state and federal governments, similar to the guidelines a public school is required to follow.
"Having served the past four years on the board of education has exposed me to the complexities of operating a public school," he explained. "The ever-changing policies, regulations and public funding appropriations require that a school not only have a clear vision to succeed but the flexibility to adjust annually as the guidelines change. Being re-elected would allow me to continue my effort to help Leetonia Schools succeed."
As an incumbent, Henderson said he has had the opportunity to help in two successful labor negotiations with the teachers' union; work with Leetonia Schools, the Mahoning County Manufacturer Coalition, local government offices and local manufacturers to help create the Leetonia Manufacturing Academy; and plan investments in technology for student use including additional computer lab equipment and the Chromebook 1:1 Initiative. He noted that with three children in the school system, he has a vested interest in ensuring the best possible education for students.
"I believe my education, work experience and my board of education experience over the last four years has helped me understand the challenges schools face with policy, enrollment and funding issues," he said. "I have helped improve the school over my term and look forward to continuing to improve the school in the future."
Henderson lives with his wife of 17 years, Tracie, and their three children, Case, seventh grade; William, fifth grade; and Graydon, second grade, on Faith Court.