Location: Montgomery City Hall, 10101 Montgomery Road, Montgomery, Ohio 45242
Date: January 23, 2025
Time: 5:45 p.m.
Preview Documents
Speakers
Mayor Ron Messer and his family have resided in Montgomery for 35 years. He served in the U.S. Army for four years and is retired from Procter & Gamble. He attended MCLA in 2018, became a CERT member in 2013, and most recently served on the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Ron enjoys spending time with his wife and family, including his nine grandchildren, watching sports, reading, and volunteering. He is currently on the Board of Directors for Matthew 25 Ministries.
Vice Mayor Sasha Naiman attended Sycamore Schools, followed by Boston University (B.A.) and Washington University in St Louis (J.D.). Sasha and her husband Donnie bought their first home in Montgomery, where they live with their daughter Lydia.
Sasha is the Executive Director of a nonprofit law firm that serves youth in Ohio and Kentucky’s child welfare, juvenile justice, and education systems. She is a 2018 MCLA graduate and has been an active member of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee. She has served on boards and committees of multiple nonprofits, civic, and professional organizations in Greater Cincinnati.
Sasha says her work on City Council and as an attorney is personal. She explains that she was born in a country that discriminated against her ethnic group and gave citizens no enforceable legal rights. Sasha and her family moved to Cincinnati, and she often reflects on their journey to build the “American dream.” She is grateful to the people, organizations, and systems that helped her family. That has led to her dedication to making her community a fair, safe, prosperous, and welcoming place for all people.
Council Member Ken Suer and his family have been Montgomery residents since 1989. Mr. Suer has been involved with Montgomery City government since 1992, serving on the Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Appeals, and then City Council since 2001. He has a M. Ed. from Xavier University and a BS. Ed. from the University of Cincinnati and spent over 30 years in the field of education, holding positions in instruction, counseling, and administration. He was appointed and served as Mayor from December 7, 2011, through December 4, 2013.
Brian Riblet was appointed as City Manager on January 9, 2018. He previously served as the Interim City Manager from August 2017, as Public Works Director from 2012 until January 2018, and as Assistant Public Works Director from 2006 to 2012. He has been employed in various capacities as a public works employee for over 34 years. His prior experience includes 17 years with the City of Defiance, Ohio, where he began his public works career in 1989. Brian was promoted to Parks and Recreation Director in 1998, where he served four years before being promoted to Superintendent of Streets and Highways in 2002. Brian attended Defiance College, served as President of the Public Works Officials of Southwest Ohio (PWOSO), past member of the American Public Works Association (APWA), Ohio City/County Management Association (OCMA), International City/County Management Association (ICMA), current Board Member of the Cincinnati Area Managers Association (CAMA), Rotary Club of Northeast Ohio and is also a graduate of the Leading, Educating and Development Program from the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Matthew Vanderhorst served as Information Technology Director for the City of Montgomery from July 2001 through August 2006, as Customer Service Director from August 2006 through June 2014, and currently serves as Community and Information Services Director. He has been employed in the information technology and customer service fields since 1997. His prior experience includes serving on active duty in the United States Air Force from 1988 to 2001 as a healthcare network administrator and web developer. Matthew received his Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from the University of Phoenix. He is a graduate of the Leading, Educating, and Development Program from the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. In 2019, Matthew received his certification as a Certified Government Digital Service Professional and served on the board of the National Association of Government Web Professionals (NAGW).
Amy Frederick joined the City of Montgomery in 2021 as the Communication and Engagement Coordinator. She has worked in broadcasting for 20 years. Amy started her career in 1997 at WXIX-TV in Cincinnati producing FOX19 in the morning. In 2004, she moved to Cox Media Group in Dayton, Ohio. While with Cox, Amy produced an evening newscast with WHIO-TV and was a reporter for WHIO-AM radio in the morning. Amy graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in journalism. She is also a graduate of the Leading, Educating, and Development Program from the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Ellen Owens, Class of 2024 – Ellen’s family was transferred to Cincinnati in 1988 from her birthplace of Memphis. She received a bachelor’s in education from Fontbonne University in St. Louis and a Master’s in Education from Xavier. Ellen has two daughters, who graduated from Sycamore in 1998 and 2000 and are both nurse practitioners. Her husband retired from Procter and Gamble. She taught for 42 years, 25 in Sycamore as the Hearing-Impaired Specialist. Ellen is active in Ohio politics.
Peggy Yang, Class of 2024 – Peggy moved to Montgomery in October 2020. Since then, she has built relationships with my neighbors, the Vintage Club community, and the Vintage Club Women’s Book Club. She recently retired from Procter & Gamble as an IT professional for Corp Legal Function. Peggy’s husband passed away about 9 years ago. They used to live in Anderson Township where they raised their son Frankie Gaw who is a Cincinnati guy but now lives in Seattle, Washington. She has a younger sister who lives in Colorado and the rest of her family (my mom, my older sister, and my son) are in Washington. Peggy enjoys hiking, boxing, and going to Orange Theory Fitness (OTF). She is one of the founding members of the OTF in Montgomery. Now that she is fully retired, she would like to give back to the community, such as volunteering for my church (Crossroads), Cancer Family Care, Cancer Support Community, or Hospice of Cincinnati, hopefully for the City of Montgomery in the near future. Her son Frankie Gaw is a cookbook author/writer. CBS Saturday Morning news featured him for seven minutes back in December 2022, featured his cooking and love for Cincinnati including Skyline Chili! Speaking of Skyline Chili, Peggy loves to eat healthy foods and is a big fan of Montgomery Farmers’ Market.
Beverly Horstman joined Braver Angels in 2018 as a member and became trained as a moderator. In 2019, Beverly accepted the Ohio State Coordinator with the national organization. This role provides her with the ability to combine her personal commitment and her educational degree with 40 years of business experience. She has organized over 40 Braver Angels workshops and events as well as assisted as a co-moderator. As State Coordinator, Beverly actively supports the four local Braver Angels Alliances working in Ohio. Ohio holds a special place in the formation of Braver Angels as a national organization.
Kelly Zimmerman joined Braver Angels as a member and accepted the role of Community Organizer as part of a grant to focus on the Greater Cincinnati area in 2021. Since then, the scope has expanded to include all of Ohio, focusing on building relationships and partnerships with local organizations that support bringing Americans together for civil discourse to bridge divides. Before joining Braver Angels, Kelly spent 17 years in product management in the market research industry.
Brandon Black is a native of Cincinnati and the chief illustration officer of Drawnversation–a facilitation business specializing in real-time visual notation for group discussions, processes, and presentations. He thrives on assisting people as they engage in storytelling, goal-setting, innovation, and strategic planning. While he enjoys employing his talents for corporations and non-profits, he especially has a heart for serving individuals and families,s seeking to cast vision and cement legacies. You can follow Brandon on Instagram @drawnversation or email him at 
Maura Gray serves as Finance Director of Montgomery, Ohio. She has over 23 years of governmental accounting experience at the local level. Maura received her Bachelor’s Degree from Wilmington College in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Walden University. She is a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Global Managerial Accountant. Maura is a member of the Ohio Society of CPA’s and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. She is an active member of Government Finance Officers Association at the national, state, and local levels.
Mike Rogers was promoted to Assistant Public Works Director in May 2022 and has served the City of Montgomery since 2007. Before being promoted to assistant director, Mike obtained his arborist certification through the International Society of Arboriculture in 2019 and is currently the city Arborist. As the Assistant Public works director, Mike works with the public works supervisor in handling day-to-day operations within the Public Works Department and works with the recreation staff in planning and running City events. He oversees the beautification and maintenance of the city park system and the downtown historical district, and City buildings and grounds. Mike assists the Public Works Director in overseeing Capital improvement projects on a yearly basis. Mike is a staff liaison to the Beautification and Tree Commission. In 2005, he graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a bachelor’s degree in arts and sciences. Mike is a graduate of the Leading, Educating, and Development Program from the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Julie Machon is the Recreation Director for the City of Montgomery. She has been with the City of Montgomery since May 2008. Her responsibilities include the management and implementation of city-wide special events, fitness, children’s programming, and pool operation and maintenance. She came to the City of Montgomery with eleven years of experience in fitness management and health promotion programming with the TriHealth Fitness and Health Pavilion. Julie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the University of Akron, and a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Cincinnati. Julie is a Certified Special Event Executive and is the staff liaison to the Montgomery Arts Commission. Julie is a graduate of the Leading, Educating, and Development Program from the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.
Dan Miller was promoted to Public Works Supervisor in May of 2022 and has served the City of Montgomery Public Works since September of 1995. Dan has been involved in most aspects of the public works, including winter operations, purchased the tanks, hoses, valves and then built the liquid system we have today. Dan then taught the staff how to use the system, and has also worked on our winter snow route maps that we use to prioritize the order of our snow routes. Dan has also worked in many areas, such as our City Parks, where he has overseen our asphalt resurfacing and sealing of our walk paths, tennis courts, basketball courts, and parking lots for many years. He also has done every aspect of work we have in the city parks and has taken the lead on many projects over the years.
Lisa Lorenz is the Recreation Specialist for the City of Montgomery. She began working for the City as a seasonal employee in the summer of 2019. She returned again in the summer of 2022 and was hired on full-time in December, 2022. Prior to working for the City, she taught Spanish for fifteen years at Nativity and Sacred Heart Schools. Lisa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from The Ohio State University and is currently working toward a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Xavier University. Lisa assists in the planning and execution of City events. Lisa is a staff liaison to the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Chad Lewis has been Superintendent of Sycamore Community Schools since 2021. Before that, he served as Assistant Superintendent and Director of Business and Student Operations, overseeing key district services.
Taylor Porter became principal of Sycamore High School in 2022 after serving as a principal in Cincinnati Public Schools at Gamble Montessori High School.
Kevin Chesar started as the City of Montgomery Community Development Director in 2021. Previously he served for over 15 years as the Director of Development with the City of Monroe, Ohio. He has also held various zoning, transportation and comprehensive planning roles with the City of Dayton and the Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission. Kevin has a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Urban and Regional Planning as well as Sociology and a master’s degree in Urban Administration from Wright State University. He is also a graduate of the Leading, Educating, and Development Program from the University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. Kevin is an active member of the American Planning Association and Urban Land Institute.