The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
School superintendent to hold open door session
Information on commission members
The appointment of a new commission to oversee Lorain City Schools is up for discussion when Superintendent Dr. Jeff Graham holds an open-door session April 12.
Graham will appear from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lorain Learning Center of Lorain County Community College, inside the City Center, 201 W. Erie Ave. in Lorain.
It will be the first opendoor session since the appointment of the new academic distress commission to oversee Lorain Schools.
Graham has had numerous public meetings around Lorain, said Erin Gadd, school district director of communications.
The session next week could have a good turnout and discussion about the commission, Gadd said, but Graham uses the meetings to address other concerns as well.
“It starts out kind of structured, but then anything anyone wants to know, they can ask,” she said.
The session is free and open to the public.
The academic distress commission has not scheduled its first meeting yet. The members are: • Patricia O’Brien, executive
director of The Stocker Foundation.
Before joining The Stocker Foundation, O’Brien honed her nonprofit management and fund development skills while employed at The City Club of Cleveland and Girl Scouts of North East Ohio. She is involved in Philanthropy Ohio, participating on the Education Advisory Committee, focused on critical areas to improve student achievement, early childhood learning, college and career readiness,
and college completion. For 10 years, O’Brien served on the board of Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio, including as board chair during the multimillion dollar capital campaign to construct a new, 40,000-square-foot warehouse distribution facility. Currently, she serves as a founding board member and board chair of Oberlin Center for the Arts.
• Tony Richardson, a civic affairs and education program officer for the Nord Family Foundation.
Richardson is a native of Lorain and a 2001 graduate of Admiral King High School. In 2005, Richardson earned a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College. He earned his juris doctor from The Ohio State University’s Michael E. Moritz College of Law in 2009.
In 2011, Richardson was elected as a councilman atlarge in the city of Lorain, becoming the youngest African American elected to an at-large seat, and he was re-elected in 2013. During his time on City Council, he sponsored legislation to increase hiring goal percentages for racial/ethnic minorities and women on city projects, supported senior citizen initiatives and worked diligently to address constituent needs and concerns.
• Michele Soliz, assistant vice president for student success and inclusion within the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Toledo.
In addition to leading the Office of Multicultural Student Success, Soliz provides leadership to the Office of EXCEL as well as the Upward Bound program.
With nearly 20 years of experience in higher education, Soliz has served in numerous key roles across the institution, including in the Office of the President and as the dean of students. She is active in the UT Latino Alumni Affiliate, serves as a mentor to African American female students in the Talented and Aspiring Women Leaders program and teaches Managing Diversity in the Workplace.
Soliz received her bachelor’s degree in ethnic studies from Bowling Green State University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in higher education from the University of Toledo, where her research focused on Latino student baccalaureate completion rates and student engagement.
• John Monteleone, a Lorain resident and a former educator and principal in the Lorain City School District for 17 years.
Currently, Monteleone is the assistant superintendent of the Oberlin City Schools.
Monteleone received a bachelor’s degree from John Carroll University, a master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from Bowling Green State University. He attended Cleveland State University’s Superintendent Program. Monteleone serves as a committee member on the Ohio Standards Coalition, where he has direct input and knowledge of the instructional state standards, the revision process, legislative recommendations and resources. He was recognized as one of the top 10 exceptional Latino school leaders in the United States by the National Council of La Raza, where he serves as an advocate.
• Dorinda Hall, an academic instructional coach for Lorain City Schools.
Hall supports teachers in the classroom with data and instructional strategies at the elementary level. A teacher since 1997, she has held teaching and administrative positions in the district since 2004. Hall holds a bachelor’s degree from Central State University and a master’s degree in education in curriculum and instruction from Cleveland State University, and she holds a principal license.
Hall has served in leadership roles in the district, including on the District Leadership Team, Professional Learning Steering Committee, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Team and the Policy Committee. She also has served as an advisor and facilitator with the Educator’s Knowledge Network through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.