Grine named at-large councilman

FOSTORIA — About a month after former Councilman at-large Braden Hall resigned, the open seat in Fostoria has been filled. At Tuesday's meeting, members of Fostoria City Council nominated resident Alexander Grine to fill the position. Grine was born and raised in Fostoria, and graduated from Fostoria High School in 2002. He then decided to further his education at Ohio State University, earning his bachelor of science degree in business administration focusing in transportation logistics, and again at Capitol University where he earned his master's in business administration. "Post-graduation, I stayed in Columbus for about 15 years in various leadership roles for manufacturing companies before moving back to Fostoria roughly 10 years ago," said Grine. When he returned home, Grine served as the plant manager at Custom Glass Solutions, bringing a new facility to Fostoria before eventually moving into his current role as market optimization consultant at Marathon Petroleum Company in Findlay. With a background in operations roles, Grine shared with members of council he feels those skills would be beneficial to the city. "I am very passionate about the city of Fostoria and would like to do my part to help us grow in any way that we can," he said. Since moving back to town, Grine has been involved with various boards and committees in the community, previously serving as a chairperson for the Geary Family YMCA and currently as the treasurer for the Fostoria Redmen's Booster Club. When asked by Councilman Greg Cassidy what his motivation to join council was, Grine responded: "I want to see the city grow — it is interesting to listen to the concerns of the citizens. Additionally, I think I would bring some financial skills that would serve the city, having previous experience with PNLs and recognizing that we are still in a state of fiscal emergency." Following the meeting, Councilwoman Amy Mendoza shared the following: "I am grateful for the strong response to the council at-large appointment process. It's inspiring to see so many dedicated citizens eager to serve, reflecting the strength and character of our city. I hope this sparks even more interest and encourages others to get involved. Most importantly, I remind everyone to vote — it's a vital way to shape our community's future." Council President Brian Shaver expressed his gratitude not only to Grine, but to the other six individuals who ran for the open position as well, saying that while he doesn't wish there were seven open positions to fill, all of the applicants were very well-qualified. Shaver also remined all those who ran for the position that there are upcoming elections, and encouraged them to run again if they are so inclined. Grine is to be sworn in at the next regular council meeting, at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 15.