Scio Township appoints a new board trustee

The Scio Township Board has a new trustee after selecting Patrick McLaughlin to fill in for Jane Vogel, who is resigning her seat effective February 28.

By a 4-2 vote of the board, McLaughlin was picked at the Feb. 22  township meeting out of the final candidates to be a trustee through to November when an election will be held.

Vogel did not vote on this matter.

The two no votes came from township clerk Jessica Flintoft and trustee Kathleen Knol, who both said candidate Jillian Kerry was their top pick.

The other final candidate was Robert Walsh while Kathleen Brant who had been a finalist withdrew prior to the Feb. 22 meeting.

The township board had picked four finalists out of eight who expressed interest in filling the vacancy. These four were interviewed during a special meeting on Feb. 15.

The Sun Times News reached out to McLaughlin to get his reaction to the decision.

“I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve as a Scio Township Trustee and look forward to contributing to the best of my ability,” he said.

In making his motion to appoint McLaughlin, board trustee Alec Jerome said in evaluating the candidates he tried to develop criteria to help him make his pick.

Jerome said he looked at things such as familiarity with the township, including the board of trustees, land, development interests, pressures, businesses, and other aspects of Scio. In addition, he considered things such as participation on local committees/commissions as well as on those outside of the township, along with work experience, conflict resolution know-how, and demonstrated communication skills.

He said he used these things along with the interviews to make his pick.

For Jerome and the other board members who put their support behind him, McLaughlin rose to the top as the ideal candidate.

In his interview, McLaughlin said he would work to be a unifying force and ended it by saying, “If I’m chosen to fill the board vacancy, I will aspire to preserve the natural beauty of Scio while helping to maintain and improve the quality of life for all residents and visitors to our community.”

Kerry, who received a lot of support during the meeting’s public comment portion as well as through letters from residents to the township, has been working diligently over the past few years as a community activist. She’s also the owner/life coach of a program called, “Creating an Intentional Life.”

Knol and Flintoft said they strongly supported picking Kerry because of her being a community advocate who has a depth of public knowledge and experience in understanding the many issues in the township. 

From roads to residents’ concerns, Knol said Kerry would bring a passion, knowledge and willingness to work for the residents.

Prior to the appointment, Kerry said during public comment that no matter the outcome she will continue to be a community advocate and stay involved.

Both Kerry and McLaughlin ran for the board and lost in the 2020 election.

In his letter of interest to the board, McLaughlin said he believes in the importance of public and volunteer service. He listed some of service, which includes being on the Scio Township Parks and Recreation Advisory Board as its secretary; serving on the operating committee and board for the Loch Alpine Sanitary Authority and being a board member of the Loch Alpine Improvement Association.

He said in his letter of interest, “I am eager to contribute to strategically shepherding growth in the township while maintaining and preserving the natural features that enrich our community.”

Professionally, McLaughlin has worked in the public relations field. He said in his letter that he’s worked with executives at technology companies to help them tell their stories and articulate their value propositions to stakeholders.

Some things he learned from this could help in the role as board trustee.

“A consistent theme with my counseling of clients is preparing thoroughly, communicating honestly, and being receptive and considerate of opposing points of view,” he said in his letter of interest.