Plain Township directors’ race has three candidates seeking two seats

Two longtime Plain Township board members face a challenger in the November 2 race for two open seats.

Tom Rybsky and Dave Ferguson will face challenger Kerri Mollard for two seats on the three-person panel.

The top two voters will join administrator David Olmstead, whose term expires at the end of 2023.

All terms are four years.

To read candidates’ responses to questions asked by This week and The Columbus Dispatch, go to ThisWeekNEWS.com/VoterGuide2021.

Dave ferguson

Ferguson, 59, has served as a director for 14 years, during which time the board of directors has developed a quality fire department in central Ohio while providing efficient, low-cost services without any increases. tax since 2015, he said.

He said he sees the state legislature playing a role in New Albany’s future.

“Our local lawmakers need to put New Albany families first on their agendas,” Ferguson said. “We need to reduce excessive taxes and onerous regulations, support our community’s education and schools while focusing on quality services at low cost.”

Ferguson, who holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, said he believes the trustees have done an admirable job of sustaining growth in the region.

“The township is working hard to have a comprehensive plan for growth, which maintains the feel of a small, cohesive community,” he said. “We have residential density standards and are working to ensure compliance with the Rocky Fork-Blacklick Accord land use plan.”

Kerri Mollard

Mollard, 50, said she would bring unique skills to the township’s administration and leadership.

“Throughout my 26-year career in the non-profit sector, I have witnessed first-hand the power to bring the public and private sectors together for the common good,” she said. “I am an accomplished planner, facilitator and communicator. “

Mollard said her family has lived in New Albany since 2010 and since then has won the 2019 Delta Award from the New Albany Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Business Leader, has served on the Parish of l Church of the Resurrection and is a member of the New Albany Zoning Appeal Board.

She said she served on the diversity, equity and inclusion committee at New Albany High School last school year.

With a BA from Ohio State University and an MA from Indiana University, she is the founder and CEO of Mollard Consulting, a non-profit consulting firm.

Mollard Consulting grew with the support of Innovate New Albany, where it operated for three years before moving to the corner of High and Main streets in downtown New Albany village, she said.

Tom rybsky

Rybsky, 66, has lived in the New Albany-Plain Township area for 30 years, serving on the board for nine years.

A civil engineer with a bachelor’s degree from Ohio State University, he has worked as a civil engineer and surveyor for 45 years.

“My professional engineering background also allows me to continue helping Plain Township,” he said. “All of the above makes me a particularly qualified candidate for the job.”

For 30 of those years he was the owner of P&L Systems, a civil engineering and surveying company in Westerville. He is currently vice-president of the PRIME AE group.

“I am an experienced and principled leader,” he said. “My vision for Plain Township and the future of New Albany encompasses a comprehensive plan for growth while maintaining the impression of a small, cohesive and inclusive community.

“This is achieved, in part, through supporting schools, the arts and improving recreational opportunities while maintaining fiscal responsibility,” he said.

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