WBESC Governing Board

Gerber new WBESC supt.

Van Wert independent/WBESC information

The Western Buckeye Educational Service Center has a new superintendent – and an area school district will be looking for a new one.

The WBESC Governing Board selected Wayne Trace Superintendent Brian Gerber to replace current Superintendent John Basinger for the coming school year. Gerber has been involved in the Wayne Trace district for 17 years and was previously principal of Payne Elementary School before taking over as superintendent.

Gerber, who attended the meeting, said he was looking forward to serving the students, staff and local school districts in Van Wert and Paulding counties as WBESC superintendent.

“The WBESC has a long tradition of serving students and staff in the areas of curriculum, special education, therapy services and preschool,” Gerber said. “I hope to provide the leadership to sustain these strong services by working within the TEAM concept with the school districts in Van Wert and Paulding county.”

Gerber noted that, while the WBESC position offers new challenges, he has also enjoyed his time at Wayne Trace.

“The students, staff and community of the Wayne Trace Local School District were a big part of my life for the past 17 years; they will always be a big part of my life,” Gerber said. “I feel blessed and enriched that I had the opportunity to serve the (district).”

The new WBESC superintendent said he is also looking forward to the new challenges that await him in his new position.

“Challenges motivate me and drive me,” Gerber told the WBESC board. “In order to sustain WBESC excellence, it is going to take teamwork. Total teamwork in all aspects of education is the lifeblood to successful partnerships in the field of education.”

WBESC Board President Nick Miller was also pleased with having Gerber as the service center’s new superintendent.

“Mr. Gerber is a fantastic individual and ha been a great superintendent at Wayne Trace,” Miller said. “He will be a great addition to our administrative team. We are extremely pleased that we were able to work this out.”

Gerber will assume his new position, effective April 4, 2011.

In other action, the WBESC board:

• Approved November financial reports as presented by Treasurer Kristine Stuart.
• Set the Fiscal Year 2011 fiscal agent fees for the Northwest Ohio Area Computer Service Cooperative at $22,348.14 (2 percent increase), also approved a number of other housekeeping items for the NOACSC.
• Appointed Miller as president pro tempore for the January 2011 organizational meeting.
• Went into executive session for discussion of employment of personnel with no action taken afterward.

The next regular meeting of the WBESC Governing Board will be at 6 p.m. Thursday, January 13, 2011, at the Paulding ESC office.