Nominated by: Dan Saevig ‘79

Achievement/Excellence

Carol is in her 16th year as President of OCS Board of Education. She has been elected president for 14 of those years. A retired elementary math teacher in OCS for 24 years, she has served as president of the NW District of the Ohio School Boards Association and has served on its executive committee for 15 years. She was one of five board members from the state named to the All-Ohio School Board in 2020 and has earned OSBA's highest designation - Master Board Member. Carol was inducted into the CHS Career Tech HOF in 2022 for her support of the program.

Leadership/Dedication

Carol's visible tenure on the OCS Board of Education is reflective of the respect for which she has earned in the Oregon community. Perhaps a better measure is the fact that - with a BOE that often has differing priorities - she has been chosen as President by her peers for her steady leadership qualities. Like many BOEs, OCS members are opinionated and may not always agree with each other. Carol has the unique ability to be Switzerland, but to put her foot down when necessary. She cares about only one thing...what is best for the children of the district. She not only leads by example, she leads with her philanthropy.

Over 30 years ago, she established a scholarship for a Clay student pursuing a career in medicine and has continued to fund it with additional resources. Carol was a lead donor for the Performing Arts Studio renovation, as well as a donor to Limelighters, the band, Frost Fest, the Bird Cage Ball, and every school in the district. And those are just the things for which I am aware.

Impact/Legacy

Approaching 80 years of age, Carol wakes up every day motivated by the goal of helping our children, their families, and the Oregon community to make OCS all that it can be. Her legacy will be found for generations to come on bricks and mortar like the Performing Arts Center. More importantly, her impact on our future students who use the PAC, those future medical professionals who are awarded Carol's scholarship and the literally, hundreds of children who have benefitted from her philanthropy, will be her greatest legacy. She's a great leader who has always done great things for our community... She is a model of class and caring, at a level we should all aspire to attain.

Nominated by: Dan Saevig ‘79

Achievement/Excellence

Don is one of the most accomplished and recognized engineers in the history of the practice in Northwest Ohio and at the University of Toledo. Hired as an electrical project engineer by the SSOE Group, he rose to become Principal Shareholder and Vice President of the firm 20 years later. By the time he retired, SSOE had grown to become the largest architectural and engineering firm in Northwest Ohio and an international force in the field. He spearheaded Honda's first international projects (outside of North America) in the UK, and throughout his career, led many projects for Fortune 500 companies and global firms. The SSOE Group now has offices throughout the United States, and in Mexico and India. His engineering exploits were recognized by UToledo when he was named its Distinguished Alumnus in 2007. One year later, he was named the Toledo Area Engineer of the Year. Prior to joining SSOE, he served as head production manager for UToledo's Savage Arena, where he worked on concerts for Elvis, Bob Dylan, Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel, and Elton John.

Leadership/Dedication

An exemplary leader at SSOE who rose through the ranks to become Principal Shareholder, Don did the same with the University of Toledo Alumni Association, joining as a board member before becoming international president 10 years later of an organization which represents close to 200,000 graduates. He's been a member, for the past decade, of the UToledo College of Medicine Advisory Council, which provides direction to the college in the area of college operations and medical research. He serves on the UT Foundation's Board Development Committee and does the same for the UT College of Engineering. His past board leadership includes IEEE Toledo, Toledo Chamber of Commerce EPIC Steering Committee, Junior Achievement and Nextronex. In 2013, he was awarded UToledo's Blue T Award, which is given to one graduate annually, in recognition of leadership and support of the institution and the Alumni Association. This prestigious honor - along with the Gold T - is one of the two highest awards given by the University and dates to 1955.

Impact/Legacy

Don's impact as a builder of the SSOE Group is felt to this day, more than a decade following his retirement. His name is synonymous with engineering leadership at the firm, in Toledo, as well as volunteerism leadership at Toledo's university. He is a doer, who puts not only his time and talent into everything he does, he also leads by example with his treasure. A philanthropist who is a major donor to the University of Toledo and the Toledo Zoo, Don and his wife, Connie, made their first major gift to OCS in 2022. Their generous support covered the costs associated with the technology infrastructure for the recording studio in the Carol Ann Molnar Performing Arts Center. Clay students utilizing the state-of-the-art studio will benefit for years to come. More than anything, Don understands that personal success and subsequent wealth is nothing unless it is shared with others, especially students at the high school and university levels. That will be his ultimate legacy.