Granville Board of Education selects dedicated volunteer John Kronk as new member
The Granville Board of Education has selected a dedicated community volunteer to fill an open board seat.
John Kronk, an 11-year resident with two children in the Granville Exempted Village Schools district, was appointed to the board's vacant seat in a special meeting Feb. 15 with a unanimous vote.
Kronk has been an active volunteer in the area for years. He actually missed the special meeting where he was approved because he was attending a Granville Arts Boosters meeting. Kronk has also coached youth sports through the Granville Recreation District and served as the volunteer chair for the Wildwood Playground rebuild in 2018. Kronk has been a member of the GRD board since 2018, currently serving as the chair. He will resign his position with the board effective Feb. 26 because of his appointment to the school board, he said.
During his GRD board tenure, Kronk said he has helped the district prepare for growth through passing a five-year levy to pay for the parks, build maintenance buildings and hire new staff. And he's ready to help the school district do the same.
Being a part of the athletic and arts boosters, Kronk said, gives him a view of the opportunities and challenges the district faces in the years ahead as student enrollment is expected to grow because of the Intel computer chip facility on the western edge of Licking County.
"We all know that Granville will grow over the next 5, 10, 15 years. But how can we do that in a very cohesive and planned way, if you will," he said. "So thinking about that, I just wanted to take on that experience to help the schools go through that growth, manage that growth, and be successful with that growth."
Kronk, a senior territory manager with pharmaceutical company Urovant Sciences, Inc., moved to Granville in 2012 with his wife, Anne, and their two children, who are now a high school freshman and seventh grader.
"For me, it's kind of a win-win, not only to get involved in the community, but kind of be interested and see what they're doing on a weekly or monthly basis as well," he said.
A board seat was open after Rana Odeh, who was elected in November 2021, resigned from the board effective Jan. 31 because her family is moving abroad for two years. Odeh announced her resignation during the Jan. 9 board meeting.
During the school board member Feb. 15, all four members spoke highly of Kronk.
Board Members Ceciel Shaw and Fred Wolf said Kronk stood out because of his leadership experience on the GRD board as well as his ability to work with others in a harmonious way.
Amy Deeds, another board member, said she supported Kronk because of his long standing commitment with the schools and community, from booster clubs to the Wildwood project.
Board President Thomas Miller said Kronk's demonstrated volunteer history shows what he will be like as a board member.
"It was clear to me that Mr. Kronk is a really hard worker. He's really there for the community. He's already demonstrated commitment to the school district and stepping up to a number of our committees for different things," Miller said. "He has a great understanding of our current workings and good relationships with everyone from teachers and administrators, to principals and so forth. I think it'll be easier for him to come up to speed quickly, which is sort of required in this relatively short term appointment for this year."
Miller said he was impressed by the community response to the vacancy because eight people submitted applications. The board held interviews during special meetings on Feb. 6 and Feb. 8.
Kronk will serve until Dec. 31, 2023, and voters will select a replacement during the November election to serve out the remaining two years of Odeh's term, which ends Dec. 31, 2025. Kronk said he plans to seek election in November's general election.
Others who are interested can also run for the seat.
mdevito@gannett.com
740-607-2175
Twitter: @MariaDeVito13
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Granville selects volunteer John Kronk as new school board member
