|
 Donna Finn and her family moved to their Headley
Road home from Gahanna in 1989 and her three children graduated from Gahanna Jefferson
Schools. After working in other fields, Donna’s love of land use and real estate
issues resulted in her employment as the Jefferson Township Zoning/Development Coordinator.
She served in this position for 10 years, helping to shepherd early Township developments
through the zoning process.
Donna ran for her first four-year Trustee term in 1997. Shortly after her election
she joined LandAmerica Lawyers Title Insurance Corporation. Her husband, Bill, operated
his own remodeling company and served on the Jefferson Township Water and Sewer
District until his untimely death in October 2004.
Along with her love of land-use issues, Donna is active in safety issues. She received
a Presidential appointment in 2002 to Homeland Security as a State and Local representative.
She enjoys walking her dogs and spending time with her children. She is a member
of various animal related organizations. Donna is completing her second full term
as a Trustee, and has served as Vice Chair for the past 2 years.
Mike Rowan moved to Jefferson
Township in 1992 and quickly became active in the Jefferson Township Park Board.
As Park Board Chair, he was successful in obtaining 2 grants through the state-funded
NatureWorks program. A greatly expanded and modern public restroom facility was
subsequently built at Jefferson Community Park. The facility has shelter houses
on each end and is handicap-accessible. Also, a new playground was constructed next
to the handicap-accessible shelter house. This addition broadened the park’s recreational
facilities for small children.
Mike lives on Darling Road. He is the father of two girls who attend Blacklick Elementary.
A strong conservationist and environmentalist, Mike holds a Ph.D in Environmental
Engineering. He teaches at OSU and Columbus State. He strongly supports conservation
development and managed growth programs practiced by the Township.
Mat Flanagan is a lifelong
resident of Jefferson Township, and still lives on Clark State Road east of Blacklick
Creek near his childhood home. He graduated from Gahanna-Jefferson, and in the 1970s
assumed responsibility for his parents’ business, Flanagan’s Tavern in Jefferson
Township. When his parents retired, he later became owner.
After running for office in 1985, Mat, along with former trustees Steve Miller and
Ray Jarvis, created the Jefferson Water and Sewer District with a two-fold purpose:
To stop territory loss through annexation and to carefully manage growth. His Township
interests are ecumenical—he has a great interest in the fire and service departments
as well as in land use issues.
Mat’s personal interests include a strong love of NASCAR racing; he sometimes serves
as a spotter at races. Mat and his wife also have an interest in Irish Wolfhounds
and care for two aged Clydesdale draft horses that he and his wife used to show.
Mat is completing his fifth term as a Trustee.
 Clerk Ken Jones is a recent addition to Township government, having
been appointed to an unexpired term in May 2004. He and his wife Melanie moved from
Buckeye Lake to a home in Havenswood subdivision, off Havens Road, in 2003.
Ken is a financial expert, having served many years both as a PriceWaterhouse/Coopers
auditor and a Chief Financial Officer in the private business community (he is a
Certified Public Accountant).
He retired from full-time positions in the business world in 2001, but keeps active
as a board member of several area businesses, including Emerald Bank and Applied
Innovation Inc, both in Dublin.
Ken keeps fit by playing tennis and jogging with his wife as time permits. In her
professional life, Melanie is a patent attorney with Porter, Wright, Morris &
Arthur. Other interests enjoyed by the two include traveling and family events.
Township voters will see Ken’s name on the November ballot when Ken will run to
fill the last two years of his current term.
 Tom Spring became Jefferson Township’s second
Township Administrator
in 2010, succeeding Ellen Walker, who retired. He has served
as a township, village, and county administrator in various counties. As administrator,
Tom manages the day-to-day operations of the Township and its staff, and assists
the Trustees in their decision-making process. His interest in public service and
local government grew
out of his involvement in community service projects as a
Scout.
Tom’s background includes human resources, budgeting, planning and zoning, public
works, and community relations, and an interest in land use legislation. He is a
past chair and member of the
Natural Resources Assistance Council (NRAC) for State of Ohio District 3, past president
of the Ohio Township Administrators Network, and a past member of the steering committees
of Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission Regional Connections and Fairfield County
Transportation and Open Space planning efforts. As NRAC chair, Tom was involved
in the 2005 award of a Clean Ohio grant to Jefferson Township for the Wengert Road
/ Plumber’s Park lands around the Blacklick gorge. He has bachelor’s and master’s
degrees in agriculture and public
policy and management, respectively, from The
Ohio State University, and is a part-time law student at Capital University. Tom
and his wife, Christine, have four grown children, two Australian shepherds and
a mixed retriever. .
|