0113twA01ANA by The Columbus Dispatch/Dispatch Magazines

January 13, 2011

Board OKs job description for Domine By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers The New Albany-Plain Local school board approved a job description for new superintendent April Domine at its organizational meeting Jan. 6. The job description details Domine’s responsibilities to the board and to the district, calling the superintendent “the chief executive and administrative officer of the board.” According to the description, Domine’s key functions are to: • Establish a vision, expect continu-

ous improvement and develop a focused plan for achieving district goals. • Facilitate communication and collaboration with the board of education and the district treasurer, establish and maintain effective relationships with school personnel and engage the external community. • Identify, prioritize, recommend and follow policies and governance procedures that maintain a focus on the goal of ensuring the success of all students. • Place a primary focus on improving instruction and enhancing student learning.

• Support individuals at all levels in the district and assume that the central office is a support and service organization for the schools. • Identify, address, April Domine and/or resolve tasks and problems that emerge in the district, which are unique or crucial to the overall successful operation of the district. Jeff Warner, the district’s communications director, said the district has had

job descriptions in place for past superintendents, though this one is a little different. When developing the new one, board vice president Laura Kohler said, district officials looked at the existing job description, the superintendent search profile created by the district and best practices, including information from the state, which has been updating superintendent evaluations. “We found a lot of similarities and overlap with the work that the state has done so we combined that information and we think that we have an evalua-

tion that will provide direction not only for the superintendent but for the school district as a whole,” she said. The board also confirmed an evaluation system for the new superintendent. Using a 2009 evaluation as a template, the board will include Domine’s first-year goals in the evaluation to gauge her progress. The board and Domine currently are working together to establish her first-year goals. In other business, the board unanimously approved Mark Ryan as board president for 2011 and Laura Kohler again was selected as vice president.

Village, SUPER SPELLER township announce raises for 2011

Chamber launches community resources website

By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers

Both New Albany and Plain Township employees will receive raises this year. According to the 2011 budget passed by the village, a 2-percent cost-of-living increase was included for employees. Because the village is expected to become a city in 2011 — after the results of the 2010 census are certified by President Barack Obama — officials also included funds for legal services associated with negotiations for employee unions. Employees of the service department already have expressed interest in being part of a union, said Dave Caldwell, assistant director of the United Steelworkers union District 1. No pay increases have been introduced for Mayor Nancy Ferguson or members of village council. The mayor currently earns $20,000 per year, while each council member makes $9,165. Salaries for those individuals must be changed by ordinance and no legislation has been introduced, said James Nicholson, village finance director. Those salaries have not increased since 2008. Plain Township trustees also approved increases for the township’s employees during a meeting last month.

New Albany residents can now access a website to search for everything from local shopping and food destinations to government resources and service organizations. “We are a fairly young community, a growing and energetic community, and I think we saw the opportunity to connect all the resources in New Albany,” said Tammy Krings, chief executive officer of Travel Solutions and chair of the New Albany Chamber of Commerce’s strategic-planning committee. “Using the chamber and its access to information and resources, we formed a single point where you can find what you need to know about New Albany.” The new website — www.experiencenewalbany.com — was launched in December on the recommendation of the chamber’s strategicplanning committee. Krings said the committee recommended several strategies last summer that would expand the chamber’s reach and provide more resources for its members. She said the community had no single resource where a new resident could find a florist, research local schools and find churches. Using the chamber resources and assistance from chamber member Prism Marketing, which hosts the website, the chamber is put all those links together on the site. “Being a single source of information, there’s a lot of outreach to local entities,” Krings said. “We’re still forming those relationships.” Chamber president Eileen Leuby said the site also links to other organizations, such as the Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team and the Columbus Crew soccer team. “The Columbus Blue Jackets, for example, can’t join all the chambers in the area, but we need to connect our young professionals with them,” Leuby said. The website also features information on

See RAISES, page A2

Kasich appoints Goodman to cabinet By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers Former state Sen. David Goodman, a New Albany resident, was appointed director of the Ohio Department of Commerce Jan. 8 by the Gov.-elect John Kasich. Goodman could not be reached for comment by ThisWeek’s press time Jan. 11. The Ohio native joins Kasich’s cabinet after David Goodman not seeking re-election to his 3rd District Senate seat because of term limits.

By Lorrie Cecil/ThisWeek

New Albany fifth-grader Devin Das concentrates as he spells “dreidel” during the fifth-grade spelling bee Jan. 10 at the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts. Das won first place and, along with one classmate and two fourth-graders, will advance to the district spelling bee Feb. 7. See story on page A7.

See WEBSITE, page A2

Chamber business expo slated this month By LORI WINCE ThisWeek Community Newspapers The New Albany Chamber of Commerce will again host a business expo in January to help residents broaden their networks and businesses expand their customer bases. This year’s Business and Community Expo will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 20, at the Church of the Resurrection, 6300 E. DublinGranville Road in New Albany, said chamber president Eileen Leuby “It’s a great time for new families to come out and meet our community service organizations,” she said. “It’s a more personal atmosphere.”

The expo is a resource for residents to learn more about community organizations and, because many are accepting new members, discover new ways to get involved. Attendees may also be able to learn about job opportunities. “Sometimes people looking for a job opportunity or a career change visit, looking for more information,” Leuby said. Residents will have the chance to meet representatives of local businesses, but Leuby said most don’t do interviews during the expo. “Companies are not necessarily specifically recruiting. Most of them are doing that through their websites,” she said.

Companies expected to attend the expo include: the Hampton Inn and Suites of the Columbus-Easton area; Windsong Massage and Therapy; Namaste Embroidery; Ohio Family and Sports Chiropractic; New Albany Gardens and Care Center; Heartland Bank; Eco Ohio; Lifevantage; Live the Source; TechColumbus; and Yard Solutions. Leuby said the expo is another way the chamber reaches out to its members and the community. More than 40 organizations and businesses usually participate. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.newalbanychamber.com or call the chamber office at (614) 855-4400.

See GOODMAN, page A2