Pennock honored for BOE service

Minerva Local School District (MLSD) Superintendent Gary Chaddock presented Stan Pennock a Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award (STACVA) in recognition of his 28 years of service on the board of education during the May 25 Minerva Village Council meeting.

The national STACVA program honored 100 extraordinary public service volunteers in localities with populations of less than 5,000 people.

Pennock’s nomination, which was submitted by MLSD, the village of Minerva and the Minerva Area Chamber of Commerce, stated he was a dedicated and valuable member of the board of education and often took on extra roles and responsibilities, giving unreservedly of his time and talents.

During his tenure on the board, he served as vice president and as legislative liaison, as well as on the Buildings, Grounds, Transportation and Maintenance; Finance and Negotiations; and Superintendent /Treasurer Appraisal committees; and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees Advisory Team.

Pennock, and his wife, Karen, faithfully attended the annual Ohio School Boards Association Capital Conference, participating in separate workshops and bringing back a wealth of information to the rest of the board.

Stan worked tirelessly to support levies, never missing a Levy Committee meeting and putting up signs throughout the district. He was instrumental in acquiring the funding to provide state-of-the-art facilities and educational opportunities for Minerva students. His project oversight, and knowledge of the trades and construction industry, was invaluable during the design and building phases of Minerva’s new schools.

Stan was  committed to maintaining the high quality of career technical education available to Minerva students, and he served multiple terms as Minerva’s representative to the R.G. Drage Career Technical Center board. He was a staunch supporter of the band and volunteered wherever needed, including helping build the concession stand in the stadium.

The superintendents Stan served with said he “fought for kids and programs” and faithfully attended events of all types. They describe him as “an outstanding board member,” “an exceptional guy,” “the consummate board member,”  “solid” and “extremely supportive of students.”

Board of Education member Rob Yeagley noted he served with Stan for 20 years, and said, “The most change the Minerva School District has seen took place under his tenure. In those 28 years, we built new schools and facilities. Stan was a big part of it. Minerva is a better place because of Stan.”