By JAN LARSON McLAUGHLIN
BG Independent News
Six people are in the running to fill the empty Fourth Ward City Council seat.
Submitting applications were Jeremy Adams, Will Airhart, Jeff Dennis, Eric Eberly, William Herald and Scott Seeliger.
Applicants will each give a brief presentation before City Council’s Committee of the Whole on Aug. 15, at 6 p.m., in the council chambers. The presentations will be limited to about five minutes. City Council may then vote during its 7 p.m. meeting, also on Aug. 15, to select a person to fill the seat.
The Fourth Ward seat was vacated when Theresa Charters Gavarone was appointed as state representative for Wood County.
Following are some details on each of the applicants for the council seat.
Jeremy R. Adams, 615 Normandie Blvd., holds bachelors and masters degrees in architecture. He currently works as a designer at JDI Group in Maumee. He has also served in the Ohio National Guard since 2006.
“In addition to education I have had a multitude of professional career experiences which required strong skills in communication and coordination amongst contractors, engineers, project managers, architects, military leaders, etc.,” Adams wrote in his letter of interest.
“The leadership and dedication qualities I bring to the table have been further sculpted by my military career,” he stated. “The military has instilled professionalism and attention to detail qualities within me, which are necessary in any organization. It is this experience and professionalism that I will bring to City Council.”
Will Airhart, 222. N. Grove St., is a practicing attorney with Marathon Petroleum Co., in Findlay. He and his family moved to Bowling Green from Texas in early 2015. “My family has deep roots in this region, and I am delighted to call Bowling Green home. I can’t think of a better place to raise our kids,” he wrote in his letter of interest.
Airhart said he has expertise in environmental and commercial issues. His profession has provided exposure to a broad range of issues affecting local government, he added.
“We are excited about the future of this community, and I want to offer my time and abilities to serve the residents of the Fourth Ward,” he said.
Jeff Dennis, 324 N. Grove St., is currently working as deputy finance director of the Strickland for Senate campaign. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science. Dennis said his skills include the ability to collect and analyze large data sets, identify trends, organize information in a clear manner and foster strong relationships.
“In my mind, the most important issue facing our city is the implementation of the Future Land Use Plan,” Dennis said in his letter of interest. “To improve our economic trajectory, we need to improve our ability to attract and retain young professionals. As a member of this demographic, I recently made the decision to purchase a home and start a family here. Too many of my peers choose places like Findlay, Perrysburg or Toledo.”
Eric Eberly, 865 Parker St., is the executive chef at Nazareth Hall, a Realtor, and has an associate degree in business. Eberly is also the founding member and treasurer of the Libertarian Party of Wood County.
“As a local Realtor, chef and entrepreneur, I am dedicated to a successful, growing and prosperous city,” he stated. “I am looking forward to helping with future projects, maintaining the high quality of city services while being fiscally responsible, and working diligently with the community and other agencies to attract and retain new businesses and university professionals, so that we can build a provide a better tomorrow for all of our residents.”
William J. Herald, 1030 Conneaut Ave., has a doctorate in public policy and management, masters degrees in public administration and in applied statistics, and a bachelors in mathematics and computer science. He currently serves as principal data scientist and predictive analytics manager at DataClarity Corporation. He previously taught at Bowling Green State University.
Herald has regularly attended city council meetings for the past 10 years, and has served on several city committees. He served on council previously, and held quarterly ward meetings with constituents.
“Faithfully attending City Council meetings for, say, a decade speaks volumes,” he wrote in his application. “It shows long-time commitment, an accumulated knowledge base, a greater understanding of meeting flow and various personalities. In and of itself, it differentiates someone with commitment from someone with new, untested, interest.”
Scott W. Seeliger, 208 Syracuse Drive, recently retired as athletic director at Bowling Green City Schools. He worked at Bowling Green State University for 25 years, serving as assistant football coach, director of corporate development and associate athletic director. He also entered into a small business venture for three years and served as vice president of the Stone Ridge Homeowners Association.
“My background in the university, city schools and private business has given me an appreciation of what all sectors contribute to BG and that we are at our best when all are working together,” Seeliger wrote. “If appointed, I will work diligently and with passion to continue moving Bowling Green forward.”
