The seat was left by Pam Callahan, who resigned from the school board on March 1.
The Xenia Board of Education will interview candidates on March 25 and March 27. The new board member will be sworn in on April 10, according to the district.
In no particular order, the candidates are:
Melva “Cookie” Newsom
Cookie Newsom is a graduate of Xenia High School, and taught in the district for 19 years. Newsom earned her bachelor’s degree in Education at Central State, a Master’s in U.S. History before 1877 at Wright State, and earned her Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton.
Robert Dilliplain
In 2021, Robert Dilliplain retired from the Xenia School Board after 27 years. He is also retired from his namesake gynecology practice in Xenia, and served in the U.S. Air Force from 1970 to 1982. Dilliplain earned his bachelor’s degree and medical degree from Baylor University.
Cheryl Marcus
Cheryl Marcus was elected to the Xenia Board of Education for two separate periods, from 1994 to 2001, and from 2014 to 2021. Marcus also serves on the Board of Directors for the Xenia Community Schools Foundation.
David Wedderburn
David Wedderburn is a former Acting Business Manager for the Xenia Community Schools Athletic Department, according to his resume. Wedderburn earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Wright State University. He has worked as a classroom aide with the Greene and Warren County Educational Service Centers, and currently works as a substitute teacher at Warner Middle School in Xenia.
Jennifer Marietta
Jennifer Marietta was elected to the Xenia school board and served from 2017 to 2021. Marietta earned her bachelor’s degree from Wright State University, and graduated from the University of Dayton School of Law. Marietta has worked as a magistrate for the Greene County Juvenile Court, and as Deputy Director of the Greene County Public Defender’s Office, and owns and operates her namesake law firm in Xenia.
Nancy Maxwell
Nancy Maxwell has worked as a Speech Pathologist for the Montgomery County Educational Services Center for the past 23 years, specializing in serving mulitiply-handicapped students, autism and emotional disturbance, according to her resume. Maxwell earned her master’s degree from the Ohio State University.
Joshua Smith
Joshua Smith is a software developer with Blue52 Productions, graduating from Wright State University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science.
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