Fellow of Distinction Award
The Fellow of Distinction Award Program was established by the Clark County ESC Board of Education on May 14th of 2019.
The Fellow of Distinction honor is awarded by the Board of Education to individuals who have made a profound and enduring contribution to the mission, vision, and values of the Clark County Educational Service Center. This distinction recognizes those who have positively impacted students, staff, or the broader community while demonstrating outstanding professional achievement, ethical integrity, and a commitment to excellence.
2024 Award Recipients
Rhonda Summerville
Rhonda is currently an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA) at Springfield City Schools. With 24 years of experience Rhonda has achieved many things within the education field, like being honored with the first Related Services Person of the Year Award. She also works with the CCESC Critical Issues Committee to help make the Clark County workplace better for employees, she mentors newly employed OTAs as well as providing clinical supervision for OTA students, several who have finished school and joined the Clark County Team.
Born in Western New York State, Rhonda misses having real winters since moving to Ohio in 1979. A proud alumni of Ohio Northern University with a Bachelor's Degree in Spanish, Rhonda later attended Sinclair Community College to become an OTA. She has two grown children and two grandchildren.
Rhonda shared, “I could not do my job without the stellar team I am blessed to work with!”
Deanna Steiner
Deanna is a Curriculum/Special Education Supervisor at the Clark County ESC. With 43 years in Education and 7 years with the ESC, Dee has developed many relationships with Paraprofessionals and Teachers throughout the years in a supervisory position. She leads by example, acts as a coach and a mentor, and pitches in to help other employees to promote a positive work environment and gain the respect required to get the best from the staff.
Dee shared, “This year I am very proud to be the Supervisor of the Clark Education Center. As a team we are actively working to ensure these students receive the necessary support and structure in their educational setting, including understanding their specific needs, communicating with the school team, and advocating for appropriate interventions and modifications to manage their behavior and maximize their learning potential.” Dee enjoys spending time with family and traveling with her husband Tom. She has a niece, Sarah, and a nephew, Alex, who she feels have taught her lessons she could never learn on her own! Family is incredibly important to Deanna!
Marian West
Marian is the Director of Curriculum & Professional Learning at the Clark County ESC. She has accomplished so many things while working in education for 40 years. Within her 6 years at the ESC, one of her proudest accomplishments has been the creation and growth of the Curriculum Crew. She had the privilege of building a team of talented individuals, each bringing their own unique strengths, personalities, and areas of expertise. The team delivers a wide range of services, programs, and learning opportunities for the ESC partner schools. Marian shared, “Watching the team evolve has been incredibly rewarding, and I am excited by the continuous growth we’re experiencing as we expand our offerings.”
The Youth Connections Program revamp to better serve at-risk students is also a proud achievement for Marian. She had a vision for the program and through the dedication of the teachers within the program, they have created a more inclusive and supportive environment. Recognizing the diverse needs of the students, the team redesigned the program to offer a more tailored approach to learning and career development. This included supplementing the curriculum, introducing a series of speakers and activities, and expanding the program to offer alternative choices for students who may not thrive in a traditional academic setting.
Marian enjoys spending time with her family. Her husband, Terry, is a retired teacher. Her son, Steve, and daughter-in-law, Gabby, live close by, allowing them to be actively involved with their granddaughters, Danielle and Savannah, as well as their soon-to-arrive new grandson!
Past Fellow of Distinction Recipients
2019 :
Mrs. Sarah Wiegel
Dr. John Louis (Doc) Agle
2020:
Kristi Knight-Craddock
Larry K. Zerkle
2021:
Amy Backus
Charles Patterson
2023:
Melvin Farrell
Marcia Nichols
Dale Steinlage
The award is conferred without regard to race, religion, philosophy, ethnic origin, citizenship, language, gender, or sexual orientation.