Greetings. Let me tell you a little about myself. I was born on October 4, 1955, in Salem, Ohio to Dean and Darlene Sue Votaw. I was the second child born to my parents. Unfortunately, my older sister Deanene died at the age of five. My brother Douglas was born seven months later. As a child my family and I spent most of our time working and playing on my grandparents’ farm on Conkle Road in Salem. The farm is where I learned how connected we all are, the circle of life, the dependency we have on and the responsibility we have to one another.
I was raised in Leetonia, Ohio, graduating from Leetonia High School with the great class of 1974.
After high-school graduation, eager to stretch my wings, I left for the University of Delaware. I earned my first degree in Elementary Education in 1977. Shortly after graduation I decided to pursue a degree in Secondary-English Education, and as fate would have it this decision brought me to the love of my life, Michele. Michele and I married in the summer of 1981, and when we started thinking about having children we both knew Ohio was where we wanted to raise our family. In the fall of 1984, I returned to Leetonia with my wife Michele.
We set down roots and bought a house in Leetonia, and in 1985, 1987, and 1989, our family was complete. We raised our three children - the youngest is on the autism spectrum - in Leetonia. Our children all graduated from Leetonia High School and earned their undergraduate degrees at The Ohio State University, Akron University, and the Post-Secondary Transition Program, respectively. Ohio is our home.
I continued my post-secondary education at Youngstown State University and Kent State University, and after all the dust had settled I found myself in possession of a Bachelor of Science Degree in General Instruction grades 1-8, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Secondary-English Education grades 7-12, a Degree in Reading Instruction grades 1-12, and a Master's Degree in Secondary-English Instruction.
I have been a public-school teacher in the Lisbon Exempted Village School District since 1984, teaching English/Language Arts at Lincoln Middle School and David Anderson High School.
While teaching in Lisbon, I have been an active union member in the Lisbon Education Association (LEA) and its affiliates, the OEA and NEA, serving at various times as the LEA's President,Vice-President, and Grievance Chairperson.
My passion for education has led me to several ventures outside of the classroom. In the early 2000s, I was the Chairperson of the Leetonia Levy Committee, and I have worked on several levies for both the Leetonia and the Lisbon School Districts. It is through these experiences that I learned how to truly listen to what people say and, maybe most importantly, what they don't say.
Finally, I was elected by the residents of Leetonia to the Leetonia Exempted Village School Board in 2015 where I served two four-year terms.