South Russell Village Hall 5205 Chillicothe Rd.
South Russell, Ohio 44022
TEL: 440.338.6700
FAX: 440.338.8776
ELECTED OFFICIALS :: VILLAGE HALL
Members of Council – ‘2008’
Front Row L-R: Councilman Mark Porter, Councilman John Dishong, Mayor Matthew Brett, Councilman Jack Binder, and Fiscal Officer Danielle Romanowski.
Back Row L-R: Councilwoman Mary Beth Wolfe, Fiscal Auditor L. Adam Lechman, Councilman Bill Koons, and Councilman James Flaiz
Matthew E. Brett Mayor
Committees:
Served on Finance (Chairperson), Streets (Chairperson), Safety (Chairperson), Properties (Chairperson), Building (Chairperson), and Public Utilities (Chairperson).
Biography:
Re-Elected Mayor in the November 6, 2007 General Election.
Matt was born and raised in South Russell and graduated from Chagrin Falls in 1985. After graduating form Kent State University with a Bachelor in Business Administration, he returned to the village where he has been involved with community activities and local government. Matt and his wife Charlotte have two children, Kristen (2000), and Shelby (2004), and are expecting another child in June 2006. Matt is active with the Chagrin Valley Intergovernmental Council, Northeast Ohio Mayor Association, South Russell Planning Board, and the Geauga Farmers’ Market. Matt is the Director of Support and Service for SageQuest, Inc., a leader in vehicle tracking and reporting systems across the US.
*Current term expires December 31, 2011.
John Dishong
Council Member
President Pro-tem
Committees:
John was elected President Pro-tem by Council at the January 14, 2008 council meeting.
John previously served on the Public Utilities Committee, Human Resources Committee and Finance Committee.
John is currently serving on both the Streets Committee and the Safety Committee.
John has served on the Planning Board.
Biography:
John grew up in South Russell and is a graduate of Chagrin Falls High School and graduated from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio with a B.S. in Business. John is a regional Manager for AT&T Data and Internet Services. John, his wife Margaret and their three children Everett, Amy and Kelly reside at 101 Spring Drive.
*Appointed in March of 2000 to fill a vacancy. Re-elected in 2005 and appointed January 3, 2006.
Current term expires December 31, 2009.
Jack Binder
Council Member
Committees:
Serves on the Building Committee, Finance Committee and Public Utilities Committee.
Biography:
Jack is a 16 year resident of the Chagrin Valley, having moved to South Russell 6 years ago. Jack graduated from Miami University with degrees in Economics and Public Administration. He also has completed his 1st year of E.M.B.A. (Finance) at Cleveland State University.
Jack is the President of EDMAR CHEMICAL COMPANY, headquartered in South Russell. Additionally, Jack has been very involved with numerous civic organizations, educational programs and athletic teams.
Jack, and his wife Mary Kay, reside at 529 Manorbrook Drive. They have three boys (Brad 15, Danny 14 and Brian 11) all currently enrolled in the Chagrin Falls School District.
*Appointed in January 2003.
Re-Elected to council in the November 6, 2007 General Election.
Current term expires December 31, 2011.
Mary Beth Wolfe
Council Member
Committees:
Serves on the Properties Committee and is Chairperson of Public Utilities Committee.
Biography:
Mary Beth Wolfe has lived in South Russell collectively for fifteen years. She is a graduate of Chagrin Falls High School and the University of Cincinnati. Mary Beth and her husband Dan, live on Daisy Lane with their three children, Kaitlin 13, Daniel 12, and Matthew 10. The children attend Chagrin Falls Schools. Mary Beth is the Executive Vice President of the Chagrin Valley Chamber of Commerce and she is a Real Estate Agent with Realty One in Chagrin Falls. Travel, scuba diving, tennis and reading are all things she enjoys in her down time.
CURRENTLY IS NOT RECEIVING VILLAGE E-MAIL
*Elected in 2005 and appointed on January 3, 2006.
Current term expires December 31, 2009
William Koons
Council Member
Committees:
Services on Human Resource Committee and is Chairman of the Finance Committee.
Bill also serves on the Emergency Operations Planning Committee.
Biography:
Bill has been a school administrator for many years. As the former Principal at Kenston High School from 1998-2002, Bill is now an Assistant Principal with the Mayfield School System.
His wife Nancy is a seventh grade teacher with the Orange School System.
Bill and Nancy have a daughter Betsy that is a 2000 graduate from Chagrin Falls High School and is a graduate student.
Bill has been a member of St. Joan of Arch Church for 28 years.
Some other activities Bill is involved with are the Chagrin Boosters Club, Chagrin Valley Land Conservancy, and the Sierra Club. Bill is a former CAA coach, past-president of the Chagrin Valley Jaycees and recived the Chagrin Jaycee Distinguished Service Award in 1977.
CURRENTLY IS NOT RECEIVING VILLAGE E-MAIL
*Elected in November 2005. Appointed in January 2006.
Current term expires December 31, 2009.
Mark Porter
Council Member
Committees:
Chairman of the Human Resource Committee, Properties Committee and Streets Committee.
Biography:
Mark grew up in the Chagrin Valley. He is a 1984 Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland. He received a Master of Arts degree in U.S> History from the University of Maryland in 1986. Mark served on surface ships during his naval service. Mark graduated from Rutgers School of Law in 2000, after which he and his family moved home to South Russell.
Mark is an attorney with Gallup & Burns, at the firm’s downtown Cleveland office.
He specializes in commercial litigation involving primarily the resolution of business disputes.
Mark has been very active in civic organizations, as well as a coach for several youth sports programs.
Mark and his wife, Tracy, live in Kensington Green with their two children.
CURRENTLY IS NOT RECEIVING VILLAGE E-MAIL
*Elected in November 2005. Appointed in January 2006.
Current term expires December 31, 2009.
James Flaiz
Council Member
Committees:
Currently is Chariman of both the Safety Committee and Building Committee
Biography:
Jim has been a resident of the Chagrin Valley for 26 years and grew up
in South Russell. He has lived in the Bellwood Lake community for a
total of 17 years. A graduate of Ohio State University and the
Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Jim is an attorney with the law firm
of Carrabine & Reardon Co. L.P.A. in Mentor. His wife, Laura, is a
speech-language pathologist for Kenston Schools. They are expecting their first child in May, 2008
Jim was appointed as Council's representative on the Planning Commission in January, 2008.
He also chairs the Village's Emergency Operations Planning Committee.
Jim is the Treasurer of the Geauga County Bar Association and serves as a member of both the Grievance and Bar
Admissions Committees. Currently, he serves as Vice President of the Geauga County Law Library Board of Trustees.
He is a member and past President of the Bellwood Lake Homeowners Association Board of Trustees.
CURRENTLY IS NOT RECEIVING VILLAGE E-MAIL
*Appointed in January 2006 to fill a vacancy.
Elected to council in the November 6, 2007 General Election
Current term expires December 31, 2011.
Lawrence "Adam" Lechman Jr.
Fiscal Auditor
Fiscal Auditor Ex-Councilman
having served on the Finance (Chairperson), Safety (Chairperson), and Properties committees
Biography:
Adam was born in South Russell and attended Chagrin Falls High School. He studied economics at Allegheny College (BA) and Penn State (MA).
Adam worked for a Department of Defense think tank in Alexandria, VA before returning to South Russell in 1997.
He is currently employed as a certified public accountant with his own tax practice, Lechman & Lechman, CPA’s, in South Russell. He is also a wrestling coach at the Chagrin Falls Middle School.
Adam and his wife, Tina, reside at 64 Maple Hill Drive. They have two children, Katarina (2000) and Zach (2002).
CURRENTLY IS NOT RECEIVING VILLAGE E-MAIL
*Elected in 1999 as councilman. Elected Treasurer in 2005 and appointed on January 3, 2006.
Current position as Fiscal Auditor is an appointed position.
