UPDATE | Laura Meeks steps down from academic commission

YOUNGSTOWN

Laura Meeks, retired president of Eastern Gateway Community College, has resigned her position from the Youngstown City School District Academic Distress Commission.

Meeks, one of the three commission appointees made by the state superintendent of public instruction, resigned Tuesday after the commission unanimously selected Krish Mohip, a Chicago schools administrator, as the Youngstown Schools CEO.

Meeks is moving to Kansas.

“My help is needed to raise my grandchildren,” Meeks said.

Both of Meeks’ sons and their families as well as a foster son and his family live in Kansas.

Lonny Rivera, interim state superintendent of public instruction, named John Richard as Meeks replacement.

Richard serves as associate executive director of the Ohio Association of Secondary School Administrators and is a member of the Lorain Academic Distress Commission. He has a background in education leadership.

He was formerly an associate superintendent at the Ohio Department of Education, overseeing school performance and improvement. Additionally, Richard was superintendent of Perry Local Schools in Stark County, where he established an international baccalaureate diploma program, expanded college options for high school students and fostered the improvement of professional learning communities throughout the district; assistant superintendent in Avon Lake City Schools from 2003-2005; director of personnel at Maple Heights City Schools; and a principal within Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools from 1996-2002.