Mayor Jacqueline Bird is a native of Marblehead being born and raised in the area. Her parents were the late former Mayor Robert J. and Marian M. (Pepon) Bird. Jackie’s father served the Village as Mayor from 1956 to 1980. Jackie had one brother; the late Thomas J. Bird who was an elected member of the Village Board of Public Affairs from 2004 to 2012. Tom was the current President of the Board when he passed away suddenly in October of 2012. Jackie is a 1980 graduate of Danbury High School and a 1984 graduate of Bowling Green State University with a Bachelor Degree in Social Work. She is a Licensed Social Worker with the State of Ohio Counselor & Social Work Board and is employed by the Ohio Veterans Home since 1985 as the Director of Social Services. Jackie is a member of St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church and serves on the Rev. August Schaefer Trustee Board, the Board of Directors at the Marblehead Bank, VFW Ladies Auxiliary 7572, The American Legion Auxiliary 83, National Association of Social Workers, and the Mayors Association of Ohio. She was appointed to Council in July of 1997 and ran for her first Council Term in November 1997. She was elected to Council twice for four-year terms and was President Pro-Tem of Council 2002-2004. Jackie was elected and sworn in as Mayor on January 5, 2004. She was the first Mayor to be sworn in at the Marblehead Lighthouse.
President Pro-Tem John Starcher is Chairman of the Finance Committee. He was born in Pittsburgh, PA in 1963. He moved to Lakeside in 1976 (summer resident since 1971) and graduated from Danbury High School in 1980. He attended the University of Toledo in 1981 and received an Associate Degree in Electronics from Terra Community College in 1985. He is the owner of Starcher Enterprises - Plumbing, Heating, Air Conditioning, and has been in business since 1992. He has also operated the Village Hardware Company since 1998. John was elected to Village Council in 2001. He is married to Holly. His affiliations include: Member (and former President) of the Lakeside Fire Department since 1985 (currently on the inactive member list). John is a Member and former director of the Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Member of the Lakeside United Methodist Church, Member of VFW Post 7572 Men's Auxiliary and serves on the Board of Directors at the Marblehead Bank. Volunteer work comprises serving in various capacities for athletic events for Danbury, including help in construction of the concession stand, served as Science Fair and Science Olympics judge since 1999 and assisted the Laker Athletic Boosters' reverse raffle.
Councilwoman Angela Kukay was raised in Fremont, Ohio, and has resided in Marblehead since 1992. "Angie" is married to Andy who has worked for a local contractor for 24 years. Along with their daughter and son-in-law, they have two grandchildren. Angie is a member of St. Josephs Catholic Church in Marblehead and a member of the Marblehead Lighthouse Historical Society. Angie has been employed at Magruder Hospital since 1999 and is a secretary in the Physical Therapy Department. Currently serving a second consecutive term on the Village Council, Angie was originally appointed to fill a vacant council seat in 2002. She continues to volunteer for several community functions which include the Cell Phone for Soldiers Drive, Hurricane Katrina Victims Relief and the Marblehead Police and Fire Department Annual Fund Raisers. Currently, Angie chairs the Safety/Insurance Committee which has had a strong role in updating the Village Handbook. Previous committee experience includes Finance, Records, Annexation and Parks/Cemetery. As Chairman of Safety/Insurance and a previous member of the Safety Council, Angie was instrumental in achieving premium discounts for the village from the Bureau of Workers Compensation.
Councilman Duane Myers was raised in Bellevue, Ohio and moved to Marblehead in 2001. Duane is Community Relations & Events Manager for the Ottawa County Visitors Bureau. He graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management. Councilman Myers sits on Bowling Green State University-Firelands College Development Board, and serves as an Ex-officio member of Main Street Port Clinton and is the current chair for Utilities, Ferries & Waterfront. Duane resides with Reba Bishoff and her daughters Hannah and Lily.
Councilman Dean Dorko was born in Marblehead in 1963. He was raised in the village and attended Danbury School graduating in 1981. Following graduation Dean attended the United States Military Academy at West Point where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering. In 1985 he graduated from the academy and was commissioned as a Field Artillery Officer. Dean served on active duty for 24 years serving in Germany, Oklahoma, California, Kentucky, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq. In 2009 he retired from the military and returned to Marblehead. He currently works for the Department of Homeland Security, United States Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Branch. Dean is a member of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church where he serves as a photographer and is on the cemetery committee. Dean was appointed to the village council in July 2010. He is the chair for the streets/sidewalks and sewer committee. Dean is married to Mary and has two sons, Corey and James.
Councilman Ron Royhab, a native of Lorain, Ohio, settled in Marblehead with his wife Roberta (Libb) in 2010, after retiring as vice president/executive editor of The Blade in Toledo. In February 2014 Village Council appointed him to fill the term of Councilman John McDonald, who stepped down for health reasons. He is chairman of council's Beautification, Parks and Cemetery Committee. Ron spent the last 18 of more than 40 years in journalism at The Blade, retiring in 2009. He first worked at the Lorain Journal, then for Scripps Howard Newspapers in various locations around the country. As a reporter, he covered all levels of government – local, state and national. As editor, he directed news coverage. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and studied at Lorain County Community College, Kent State University extension campus in Elyria, and American University in Washington, D.C. Ron is council president at Holy Assumption Orthordox Church, Marblehead. He and Roberta have two sons, David and Aaron, two daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren.
![David Redett](015Redett.jpg")
Councilman David Redett was born in Illinois. He lived in Pennsylvania and New York before moving to Lakeside in 1987. He graduated from Danbury High School in 1994 and proceeded to Miami University to receive a Bachelor's degree in mathematics in 1998. From there he attended graduate school and received a Ph.D. in mathematics from Michigan State University in 2003. After that, he took a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship at Texas A&M; University before returning to the Midwest for a faculty position at IPFW. He moved back to Lakeside in 2010, became a Marblehead resident in 2012 and was elected to the Village Council in 2014. He continues to live in Marblehead with his wife, Lisa, and three daughters, Sarah, Abby and Emma.
Fiscal Officer Rhonda Botti Sowers was appointed to the part-time position as an interim in April of 2011 and on a regular basis in July of the same year. She has twenty-one years of prior government service having worked at Danbury Township from 1990 until her retirement in 2011. During that time she served 8 years as zoning assistant followed by 13 years as the zoning inspector. She simultaneously held the elected position of Township Fiscal Officer from 1995 to 2009. As Fiscal Officer Rhonda converted the township’s accounting and payroll to the Auditor of State’s Unified Accounting Network (UAN) computerized system and was later certified as a visiting clerk to assist other Fiscal Officers with the UAN.
As the village Fiscal Officer, Rhonda is responsible for the day-to-day financial operations, payroll, human resources, investment of funds, and matters of legal compliance. The Fiscal Officer also acts as Clerk of Council, Clerk of the Board of Public Affairs and serves on the Records Commission.
Bob Hruska spent ten years working for a McDonald's restaurant franchise owner and he personally cooked the first Egg McMuffin for sale to the public in Ohio. He later worked as a manager and construction coordinator for new McDonald's restaurants and drive-thru additions. He also spent ten years as an excavator and truck driver, laying asphalt for roads and driveways and hauling stone. Bob spent seven years as the owner/operator of an 18-wheeler and fifteen years doing part-time home maintenance. Currently, Bob is working part-time as Marblehead's Zoning Administrator, Waterfront Development Administrator, Flood Plain Administrator, Planning Commission Secretary and member of the Ottawa County Regional Planning Commission.
James C. Barney has been the Village Solicitor for 7 years. As a partner in the Ottawa County general practice law firm of Kocher & Gillum, Jim represents several Villages and also has a real estate and litigation practice. He is also President of the Board for Ottawa County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Jim is an avid runner and currently resides in Oak Harbor with his wife and two teenage daughters.