Crestview board swears in new members

Van Wert independent

CONVOY — The Crestview Local Board of Education held a special meeting on Wednesday to swear in first-time board members Nan Grace and Jake Sawmiller, and re-elected member Lori Bittner, as well as .

Grace, a lifelong member of the Crestview district, has three children ages 9, 12, and 14 — one each in the elementary, middle, and high schools — and said she has been interested in serving on the board since she was in high school.

“When I was in high school I attended a special board meeting, and I was very intrigued,” Grace said. “I said ‘someday I want to do that’.”

Sawmiller has two daughters in the school district, ages 8 and 10, with a third on the way, while his wife, Ali, teaches in the high school.

“I’ve heard a lot about the school and care deeply about the kids,” Sawmiller said, noting he has coached a number of sports at Crestview over the past few years. “It’s a great opportunity to make sure we’re keeping the school in the right direction, thinking about the kids first, and doing the right thing.”

Following the swearing in by Crestview Treasurer Ashley Whetzel, the board, which also includes Board President John Auld and member Andy Perrott, went into executive session with Putnam County Educational Service Center Superintendent Dr. Jan Osborn to discuss the search for a superintendent to replace Mike Estes, who announced at the December meeting that he had opted not to renew his contract with the district when it comes up for renewal in July.