On Monday, Gov. Kasich appointed AICUO-member president Mark Smith to the State Board of Education for a four-year term. In that role he will join AICUO President C. Todd Jones, who has served for the last two years to complete a vacant term, and was also reappointed for a full four-year term on Monday.Dr. Smith is president of Ohio Christian University in Circleville. He joined OCU as president in 2006 from Indiana Wesleyan University. Since that time, the university has grown rapidly from 506 students to 2,934. Last year it was the fastest growing independent college in Ohio.
Smith and Jones are two of eight gubernatorially appointed at-large members of the board. They serve in addition to the eleven members who are elected in constituencies that encompass three Ohio state-senate districts.
Commenting on the appointment, Dr. Smith said that he was "very humbled and honored to be able to serve with fellow educators, but more importantly to serve the students of our state. I believe Ohio can be number one leading education, and I want to do everything I can to impact and effect change in making us number one."
