2020 General Election candidate profiles

Oct 21, 2020 | Around Ottawa County | 0 comments

County Commissioner

Mark Stahl

Mark W. Stahl is the present chair of TMACOG and a Commissioner for Ottawa County where he was first elected in 2009. He currently serves as President of the Board of Ottawa County Commissioners and was also an Allen Township Trustee.

Commissioner Stahl has completed programs in township administration and public management. He serves on several boards in the Northwest Ohio region. In addition, Stahl currently serves on the following committees for the County Commissioner’s Association of Ohio: The Tax and Finance Committee, the Jobs, Economic Development and Infrastructure and Justice and Public Safety.

Stahl has served his community for 23 years with the Allen Clay Joint Fire District and currently holds the rank of Battalion Chief. He is a graduate of the University of Toledo, College of Business Administration with a dual major in accounting and finance.

Gary Quisno

Gary Quisno is a life-long resident of Ottawa County, a graduate of Port Clinton High School, who has a BS in Math from Miami University. While attending Miami, he was a walk on with the football team and earned a full athletic scholarship, lettering on three Mid-American Conference and Tangerine Bowl Championship teams.

Quisno has a Masters Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Toledo. His experience in education includes more than 40 years at Danbury, Oak Harbor, and Perkins school districts as a high school math teacher, athletic director, school administrator and Hall of Fame football coach.

Gary and wife, Becky, of 41 years have three children, Adam (Kristin), Amanda (Ian), and Annie, along with four granddaughters, Ellie, Ada, Evie, and Vivian.

Mark Coppeler

Mark Coppeler is long-time Ottawa County resident, experienced government official, and successful business owner.

While operating Coppeler Heating and Electric, Mark was elected to Port Clinton City Council and served as chairman of the Finance and Infrastructure committees. In 2016, he was elected to the Ottawa County Board of Commissioners for his first term. While a commissioner, he has led numerous community initiatives, including facilitating the Portage River Water Trail, which is coming soon.

Randy Schiets

My family has called Ottawa County home for generations. I was raised in Oak Harbor, where my parents taught me family values, hard work, and the importance of higher education. After graduating from Oak Harbor High School, I went on to graduate with honors from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. During that first summer recess from BGSU I accepted a position at Gordon Lumber. Opportunity and advancement turned that summertime job into a career that has included sales, marketing, management, budgeting, and purchasing. I intend to utilize my business and management skills to support local businesses and communities, analyze the structure of current programs, and develop new programs that benefit the citizens of Ottawa County.

County Clerk of Courts

John A. Brikmanis

My name is John A. Brikmanis and I am running for Clerk of Courts.

I have lived in Ottawa County for more than 30 years and moved here for the same reason as most of you are here – for the natural beauty of this Great Lakes region.

I am an attorney practicing farm law and past president of the Ottawa County Bar Association. I am active in the community and currently vice-president of the Oak Harbor Conservation Club.

My goal would be to move the Ottawa County title office to a satellite office next to the BMV. That would be much more convenient for everyone, having titles available in one spot and license plates right next door. It would allow for more flexible hours.

John Klaehn

John Klaehn is an experienced attorney and business owner. Klaehn is a 45-year resident of Ottawa County, residing in Danbury Township with his sons, John Jr. and Alex. Klaehn spent 10 years operating and managing his family’s business, Mutach’s Market in Marblehead.

For the past 13 years, he has been in the private practice of law, specializing in Criminal Defense, Estate Planning and Probate and Real Estate. Klaehn earned his bachelor degree from Capital University and law degree from Ohio Northern College of Law.

County Engineer

Ronald P. Lajti Jr.

Ron P. Lajti Jr. was born in 1977 and raised on his family farm in Graytown. Married since 2001, Lajti has twin 15-year-old sons. A small business owner/operator, he also farms with his family. Lajti has held several jobs ranging from carpentry, to eventually becoming the Ottawa County Engineer in 2014.

Lajti left the Democratic Party in 2019 to run as an Independent, based on personal beliefs that partisan politics should not have a place in infrastructure construction and maintenance. His goal is to continue to use respect, logic, hard work and resourcefulness to continue meeting the needs of those who depend every day on the County Engineer’s areas of oversight.

County Prosecutor

James VanEerten

James VanEerten is a native of Northwest Ohio and current Ottawa County Prosecutor. VanEerten previously operated a private law office, title insurance business, and served as Court Administrator for Ottawa County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Winters from 2010-2016. In 2016, VanEerten was elected Ottawa County Prosecutor. VanEerten resides in Danbury Township with his wife, Stacey, and daughter, Laine.

County Recorder

Beth Gillman

Beth Gillman has experience in government, is a mom, wife, beekeeper and servant-leader. Her mother, the late Chris Galvin, served as United Way director. Her father served NW Ohio as state representative. Gillman is involved in The Oak House, Bistro 163, Strength for the Journey, Senior Advisory Board, Main Street Port Clinton, Ottawa County Beekeepers, Port Clinton Soccer Boosters, Port Clinton Baseball, Ottawa County and Port Clinton Democratic Parties, FOPA and a city councilman.

A graduate of Leadership Ottawa County, Gillman is civically engaged. She plans to continue to maintain and protect records while working to further modernize and upgrade the Recorder’s Office.

Nathan Daniels

Nathan Daniels is a lifelong Ottawa County resident and practicing attorney. A graduate of Genoa Area High School, he attended the University of Toledo, where he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a J.D. from the College of Law.

Daniels currently serves as Special Counsel to the Oregon Municipal Court, where he represents indigent clients. Additionally, he works at the Luther Home of Mercy in Williston, Ohio.  One of Daniels’ proudest achievements is becoming an Eagle Scout.

County Treasurer

Tony Hatmaker

Tony Hatmaker has spent his career effectively managing taxpayer dollars in positions of public service.

A graduate of Port Clinton High School, Hatmaker graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting. He served as the the Treasurer of the Genoa Area Local School District and as Treasurer of the City of Port Clinton. In all, Hatmaker brings a 25-year career of successful fiscal management in the government sector.

Scott Hines

Scott Hines is an attorney who spent 38 years in public service. He was the Regional Director for Northwest Ohio’s Worker’s Compensation Hearing process, where he managed a staff of 10 lawyers and 30 staff. He conducted, managed and was responsible for hundreds of thousands of legal disputes during his tenure.

Hines is certified as an arbitrator for complex financial disputes between brokers and their clients where financial trades are the subject of litigation. He has been presiding over arbitrations for NASD/FINRA since 1999.

Hines and his wife, Adrienne, live in Catawba with their twins, Avery and Zoe.

County Probate/Juvenile Court Judge

Frederick “Fritz” Hany

Fritz Hany is an experienced legal professional, teacher and former judge.

Hany previously served as the judge of the Ottawa County Municipal Court, where he won four elections to the position. While judge, he served on numerous statewide boards and commissions to advance sound law in the state of Ohio.

Hany also served as a faculty member of the Ohio Judicial College, where judges instruct other judges. Prior to serving as judge, he was a partner in the law firm Rosentreter, Robertson and Hany.

Dawn Haar

In the Probate and Juvenile Court, we toil in sensitive and confidential matters under cloaks of veritable anonymity. I have been a tireless advocate within this Court for over 30 years and I am committed to continuing to improve the lives of our children and families.

Our Courts are not interchangeable. Consequently, there is no substitute for the right experience within the Probate and Juvenile Court right now.

Preserve continuity and confidence with a seamless transition to Dawn Haar for your next Probate and Juvenile Judge. “The time is always right to do what is right.” Martin Luther King Jr.

State Representative, 89th District

Alexis Miller

Alexis Miller is running for State Representative in the 89th District of Ohio, which includes Ottawa and Erie counties. She was born and raised in Sandusky, where she lives with her husband, Rob, and two dogs. She is a graduate of Perkins High School and Ohio State University with a Master Degree of Public Administration degree.

During college and grad school, Miller worked in state government and nonprofits, where she gained years of experience in policymaking and state budgeting. Miller is running for State Representative to fight for living wages, access to affordable healthcare, and dignity in retirement.

Douglas Swearingen

D.J. Swearingen is a business adviser and State Representative for the 89th House District. Swearingen has served as our state representative since 2019 and currently practices law with the firm Wickens, Herzer, Panza, where he advises business owners on transactions, daily operations, and future initiatives.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Bowling Green State University and his Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Dayton School of Law, cum laude.

Ohio Senate District 2

Joel O’Dorisio

Joel O’Dorisio is a proud father, professor, and labor leader. He grew up in Columbus, attending public schools his entire life. After graduating from Ohio State University, he moved around the country, developing his trade as a glassblower and starting a small business.

O’Dorisio moved back to Ohio 14 years ago, after getting a teaching position at Bowling Green State University. O’Dorisio helped unionize BGSU in 2010, providing stability and security to faculty and staff. Today, he is running for State Senate to strengthen public education, improve the lives of working people, and end government corruption.

Theresa Gavarone

Proud to call Northern Ohio home for over 30 years, Theresa Gavarone and her husband, Jim, have three children and are members of St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Bowling Green. Gavarone is an attorney and co-owner of Bowling Green’s Mr. Spots with her husband.

As State Senator for the 2nd Senate District, Gavarone is building upon the successes of her time as State Representative. She continues to lead the fight for smaller, more transparent government, a stronger economy, and a brighter future for northern Ohio families, citizens, and small businesses.

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