By Sam Wildow
TROY — Three people were elected to the Troy Board of Education on Tuesday, including one incumbent and two new board members.
Susan Borchers will be returning the board after receiving 3,697 votes, or 27.88% of the vote, according to unofficial results. Levi Fox received the most votes with 3,771 votes, or 28.88%. Theresa Packard will be filling the third open seat on the board after receiving 2,952 votes, or 22.26%.
Tom Kleptz, the current president of the board, was not re-elected on Tuesday. He received 2,841 votes, or 21.42%. Kletpz’s seat on the board will expire Dec. 31. He has been on the board since 2015.
Fox, who currently works as a finance manager, has previously served on the Troy Board of Parks Commissioners between 2016-2018. He is a 2005 Troy High School graduate, and he received his Bachelor’s of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance in 2009 from the Ohio State University. He then received his Master’s of Business Administration of the University of Cincinnati in 2020. He was also inducted in the Trojan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014. Fox has three young children, one of whom will be starting at Troy schools next year.
“I’m just really excited to get elected and start learning about the procedures of being on the school board and, most importantly, being able to work for the future of Troy schools,” Fox said. Fox aims to support the students, parents, and teachers in the district, saying he is looking forward to working with the current and new board members.
Fox said, first and foremost, he wants to look to parents and their wants and needs for their children.
“They know best,” Fox said. “They care about their kids more than anyone else.”
Fox also addressed the mask mandate at Troy schools, saying “Parents are upset with the mask mandate … I was not for that mask mandate that they implemented back in September.”
He said he hopes the district addresses the mask mandate “sooner rather than later,” adding, “We’ll see how it is come January.”
Fox thanked everyone who voted for him and put their trust in him, saying he also plans to be accessible to the public.
“I encourage everyone to reach out to me whether it’s positively or negatively,” Fox said.
Borchers was initially appointed to the Troy Board of Education in July of 2017. She was then elected to fill the two-year remainder of the term in 2019, and she was re-elected on Tuesday.
“I’m very excited. I wasn’t sure what to expect,” Borchers said. “I love serving Troy schools. I’m very excited to continue on as we have so many things to do ahead of us.” Goals for Borchers include planning the upgrades to the schools, as well as reconnecting with the community and creating better support for the community.
“I want to thank all of the supporters,” Borchers said. She said the community can reach out to her any time.
Borchers is retired, having retired in May of 2017 from the position as chief information officer at Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Borchers has also served on the Concord PTO Board, the Trojan Soccer Club Board, the Troy Strawberry Invitational Committee, the Troy-Hayner Cultural Center Board, and the Troy High School Soccer Parents Association, acting as president for two years.
Borchers also tutored Troy Online Academy students during the pandemic and volunteered to create virtual field trip videos that teachers are using within their curriculum today. She is also a member of the 2021 Leadership Troy class, which is launching a mentoring program at Troy High School to provide selected seniors with workshops and mentors to assist in creating career action plans for life after graduation. Borchers’ daughter also graduated in 2020 from Troy High School and is now a sophomore at Eastern Michigan University.
Packard works in marketing and communications for Buckeye Insurance Group. She has three children in the district, and she has previously stated that she hopes to address repairing the tension between parents and the schools. She has also previously stated that a top challenge for the district is its facilities.
“I want to thank everyone who voted for me for their confidence and their support,” Packard said. “I look forward to serving our schools and our community and doing the work of a school board member.”
