Minor

LISBON — A Columbiana High School graduate who has been working in the state legislature for the past two-plus years will be the number two person in charge at the Columbiana County elections board.

The board on Thursday hired Bryce Minor as deputy director to fill the vacancy created with the recent resignation of elections board Director Adam Booth, whose last day is Feb. 15.

Minor graduated summa cum laude in 2016 from Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in political science, and while in college he served as an intern for U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson, R-Marietta.

Following graduation, Minor worked as an aide for state Rep. Tim Ginter, R-Salem, and then Ohio House Cliff Rosenberger, who resigned while under FBI investigation. After that Minor helped run the Ohio House’s legislative page, intern and constituent service program until last month, when he took a job as legislative liaison for new state Auditor Keith Faber.

Under Ohio law, the elections board director and deputy director have to be from opposite political parties to serve as a checks-and-balance. Since Booth was a Republican, it was the county GOP’s responsibility to name a replacement.

Board member David Johnson, who is chairman of the county Republican Party, said they received eight applications and he and fellow Republican board member Vic Maroscher interviewed five of the applicants. Although there were several qualified candidates, he said they felt Minor best met the director/deputy hiring criteria set forth by the Ohio Secretary of State. The criteria stressed education, managerial skills and election experience, both direct and indirect.

Johnson spoke with Faber and YSU President Jim Tressel, among others, about Minor. “Everyone speaks highly of this young man,” he said of Minor, who is the son of Fairfield Township trustee Barry Minor.

Larry Bowersock, one of the Democratic board members, agreed Minor is a good choice. “Nice resume. Real nice,” he said.

Minor, at 26, is only 18 months younger than when Booth was hired in 2009 as deputy director. Deputy director Kim Meek was promoted to the top job, with Minor being hired as deputy director. His starting salary will be $15 an hour during his first 30 days, after which his salary goes to $28.84 an hour.

In other news, it was reported that both Johnson and Bowersock were elected by their parties to serve another term on the elections board.