UNITY TOWNSHIP – Residents will have a choice of three candidates for two township trustee seats in November – two incumbents and one challenger.

David Mollenkopf is challenging incumbents Bryan Henderson and Kathy McCarthy.

Henderson, 63, has been a trustee for nine years. He is retired after serving as township road supervisor for 28 years. He also has previously served on the New Waterford Fire Department for 39 years, including 10 as chief.

An East Palestine High School graduate, Henderson noted his 31 years of work experience with the township as his qualification to continue as trustee. As an incumbent, he said his biggest accomplishments have been to keep Unity Township moving forward and reopening Fire Station in Unity.

Henderson lives with his wife Karen on Crestview Road in New Waterford. They have a son, Dustin and wife Brittney Henderson; daughter, Brianne Dean and husband Carlton with grandchildren Max and Coleson; and son, Colby Henderson.

McCarthy, 67, said her biggest accomplishments as incumbent include being a part of the warning sirens, turning the old Unity fire station into a satellite station shared by New Waterford and East Palestine fire departments and several road improvements over the years and ongoing.

She said she is qualified because she has “always been community minded and interested in the workings of government and have several years experience as trustee.”

McCarthy lives on North Liberty Street in East Palestine. A widow, she has a daughter Marnie Bistarkey and son Philip McCarthy.

Mollenkopf, 50, is a 1989 Graduate of East Palestine High School and hold a B.S in Agricultural Economics from The Ohio State University.

He is currently a managing agent and owner of Crabb Insurance Agency Inc. since 2004, with offices in East Palestine and Salem. He previously worked form 1995 to 2004 as risk management director for Deregulated Energy services, working in the field of Natural Gas, Electricity and Coal for distribution for retail and wholesale energy sales.

Mollenkopf is currently a member of the Salem Rotary Club, Unity Grange #534, Centenary United Methodist Church, Ohio State Alumni Club, Salem Chamber of Commerce, Youngstown Saxon Club and Salem Golf Club.

Despite never having held public office, Mollenkopf said his qualifications for trustees include nine years on the Salem Regional Medical Center Board of Directors, overseeing an annual budget of over $100 million with high interaction with federal and state government requirements and oversight of administration of one of Columbiana County’s largest employers; and over 25 years of working with a broad array of individuals to identify, develop and implement various projects for the benefit of the community, with strong involvement in fiscal management and member recruitment, through memberships in Rotary, Chamber of Commerce, OSU Alumni, TBDBITL Board, Church Administrative Council and EP Alumni board.

As a small business owner, Mollemkopf said the community is what makes everyone successful and sees his service as trustee as an opportunity to give back and help improve that community.

“[An] opportunity to retain the excellent job the township has always done in their responsibility while seeking how to best leverage that into opportunities for economic growth that will benefit the community as a whole,” he said of his challenge for a trustee seat.

As an entrepreneur who envisions new opportunities for economic development and employment expansion in Unity Township, Mollenkopf said he is eager to get to work to service and improve the infrastructure of Unity Township. He also noted his is educated in fiscal matters and budget management.

“I understand the government’s funds come from the citizens,” he said. “Trustees should be accountable for its use and see the greatest benefit in expenditures.”

Mollenkopf lives with his wife Jennifer, band director at East Palestine City Schools, on Hadley Road in East Palestine. They have a daughter, Victoria, a 2018 East Palestine graduate and senior at Ohio State, and Abigail, an eighth grader at East Palestine Middle School.