YSU needs business leader to serve on trustee board

It doesn’t take much for perception to become reality in politics, as Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland will find out if he keeps going in the direction he has pursued for filling vacancies on Youngstown State University’s board of trustees. It isn’t about the qualifications or commitment of the three individuals he has appointed thus far, but rather the kind of leadership the university requires at this stage of its history.

The public has every reason to wonder what criteria the governor uses in selecting individuals who will guide Ohio’s colleges and universities.

Since he took office in January 2007, Strickland has made three appointments to the YSU board of trustees: The latest is Dr. John Russell Jakubek of Canfield, who will serve the unexpired term of Dr. Dianne Bitonte Miladore until mid 2014. The governor appointed Miladore to the board of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Jakubek, an anesthesiologist, received his bachelor’s degree from Youngstown State and a medical degree from Ohio State in 1982.

He is the nephew by marriage of Kenneth Carano, the governor’s representative in the Mahoning Valley. Carano’s wife is Jakubek’s aunt.

Carano said he had nothing to do with the appointment and that the doctor applied for the position because he has long been involved with YSU. He is a lifetime member of the alumni association.

Last August, the governor named Carole S. Weimer of Youngstown to the board. She is a Liberty High School teacher and is an active community volunteer. Weimer received her master’s degree in education from YSU.

She is the wife of Atty. William Weimer, corporate counsel for B.J. Alan Fireworks. The company’s chief executive officer, Bruce Zoldan, is the governor’s leading financial supporter and confidante in the Mahoning Valley.

Strickland’s first appointment to the board of trustees was Harry Meshel, a long-time figure in Ohio politics. Meshel, one of the most prominent Democrats in Ohio, served as president of the Ohio Senate.

Meshel is an adviser to Zoldan on government-related issues and was a strong supporter of the governor’s in the 2006 election.

His legislative background and experience in local and state governments has provided him with valuable insight into higher education in Ohio.

Independent voice

Meshel has emerged as an independent voice who does not believe trustees should be rubber stamps for the president, the administration, faculty or staff. That has put him at odds with President David Sweet on some issues, especially with regard to the budget. Because of his long ties to labor, Meshel has been able to speak with credibility about the need for management and unions on campus to temper their demands.

But YSU’s trustees now face another major challenge, namely, the hiring of a new president to succeed Sweet. His contract expires in July 2010 and the board has said they do not intend to extend it.

Ohio’s universities and colleges are under great pressure from the governor and the chancellor of higher eduction, Eric Fingerhut, to justify their existence. Therefore, whoever succeeds Sweet will have to clearly articulate a vision for the future.

That is why the next appointment the governor makes to the board of trustees must come from business or industry. There is a vacancy for a full nine-year term, and we urge Strickland to find an individual who has had to meet payroll in these difficult economic times, perhaps has had to deal with labor unions and has a record of doing more with less.

The appointee should not have to have political connections. The chief criterion: A proven track record in business or industry.

There is talk Strickland would like to name a woman to the board of trustees. That is an honorable goal, but it means the governor’s head of boards and commissions will have to expand the search field in order to find the ideal appointee.