The Southeast Board of Education in 2023.

Southeast names Danielle Buckner to its Board of Education

In a 3-1 vote, the Southeast Local Schools Board of Education on Jan. 15 appointed Danielle Buckner to fill a seat recently vacated by Dave Fesemyer.

Four candidates — Buckner, Katie Pahls, James Novak and former board member Kevin Werschey — were interviewed by the board in closed session prior to a meeting on Jan. 13. They had all also given short presentations to the board during its Jan. 13 organizational and special meeting. A fifth candidate, Jessica Nething, did not appear before the Board on Jan. 13, so her application was suspended.

Board Member Erin Ahrens told The Portager she hoped the “many great candidates” who were not chosen will consider running for open seats in the future.

“After some outstanding interviews, I believe Danielle Buckner was best suited for the position based on her leadership of the Southeast Middle School PTO and her involvement with the education of her own four daughters,” Ahrens said.

Board Member Mary Kaley said the board was “very fortunate to have such a strong group of candidates,” and added that “Mrs. Buckner showed great strengths during all aspects of the interview process.”

Buckner thanked the board. She told The Portager that she initially intends to “learn the ropes” from her new colleagues, and that her only agenda is supporting district staff, students, teachers and administration.

After a career as a stay-at-home mother, an instructor in the medical field and overseeing higher education support services, Buckner said she now focuses her energies on running the children’s chapter of the Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation.

She is also president of the Southeast Middle School PTO and sits on the board of Southeast Youth Wrestling, a community organization.

“My girls are third generation Pirates,” she said. “We’ve lived in the community pretty much my whole life. I truly care about the staff and the teachers, and anything that I could do to have a seat at the table and help support what they’re already trying to do and what they are accomplishing with our students, I was just all about it. I thought, ‘I’ll apply and see how it goes.’”

Buckner’s appointment came after a two-hour executive session. Noting that the board anticipates hiring a new superintendent, creating a five-year facilities plan and dealing with “budgeting problems,” Board Member Frank Voss championed Werschey, who he said is familiar with all the issues.

(District Superintendent Bob Dunn confirmed that he plans to retire either July 31 or in 2026, and added that he plans to continue working in the educational field for several years after that.)

“I think there are things that are going on with the board. We’re at a critical point,” Voss said. “Kevin lost the election by, I think, 150-some points … I think it was a close enough election that some weight should be given to that.”

Voters in November 2023 had selected three board members, with the winners being newcomer Fesemyer with 2,655 votes, longtime incumbent Kaley with 1,764 votes and Ahrens with 1,631 votes. Werschey tallied 1,479 votes, losing the third spot by 152 votes. Candidate John Witkosky had the support of 1,023 voters.

Referencing what he characterized as a lawsuit that was ultimately dropped, Voss said, “I think [Werschey] was on the board with passion. I think he had integrity while he was on the board. I think that passion is probably what led to the lawsuit.”

Naming the Southeast Local Schools, Werschey filed a public records request complaint in the Ohio Court of Claims on March 26, 2024. In it, he alleged that his requests for “emails, text messages, [and] call logs for [the] dates of 11/1/22 thru 1/31/23 and 10/1/23 thru 12/31/23 for John Danes, John Witkosky, Frank Voss and Mary Kaley” were not fulfilled. “They did not give me all the dates and all messages. The[y] picked what that wanted to send me per [district treasurer] Samantha Pochedly.”

The case proceeded to mediation, and was dismissed as “resolved” on Aug. 14, 2024.

Werschey said the complaint was rooted in his belief that board members were holding clandestine meetings out of the public eye. He said he withdrew the complaint because he didn’t want to waste money — his own or the district’s.

“I just wanted to prove a point,” he told The Portager, adding that he did prevail during the Jan. 15 meeting “because last night they did this in front of the public. I made them do what they’re supposed to do.”

Voss received no support and the board nominated only Buckner, who was seated and sworn in despite Voss’ sole support of Werschey.

Werschey told The Portager he did not expect to be appointed as he had sowed tension during his tenure.

“There was a little friction because a lot of times, to me, we just drug our feet, and I let them know that, and maybe they don’t like me to push, but you know, we have to move forward and keep pushing,” he said. “The problem is when everybody gets kind of comfy and the normal becomes normal, and it stays normal.”

His former colleagues may have misinterpreted his mindset and taken it personally, but it was never meant that way, he said.

Because Buckner was appointed, not elected, she will serve until Jan. 1, 2026. Voters will elect a person to run out Fesemeyer’s term in November. The winning candidate will serve until Jan. 1, 2028. Werschey said he intends to run.

Fesemyer ended up only serving a year. He resigned effective Jan. 1, 2025, stating in his resignation letter that “other opportunities” had presented themselves to him.

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Wendy DiAlesandro is a former Record Publishing Co. reporter and contributing writer for The Portager.