HFC and Dearborn Public Schools congratulate new Trustees
Henry Ford College (HFC) and Dearborn Public Schools are proud to welcome the four winners of the recent election to their boards of governance.
Incumbents Adel Mozip and Mary Petlichkoff retained their seats on the board in unofficial election results from Dearborn and Dearborn Heights. They both won six-year terms, along with newcomer Irene Watts. Joining them will be newcomer Patrick D’Ambrosio, who won a two-year seat on the board. Due to the small number of votes separating the candidates who won seats from those who did not, a recount is possible.
Current Trustees Mary Lane and Dr. Michael Meade did not seek reelection. Their terms end December 31, 2020.
“It has been an honor to serve alongside Trustee Lane and Trustee Meade. They have brought a tremendous amount of knowledge and expertise to this board, and their passion for serving the students in our district is obvious,” said Board President Hussein Berry.
Brief bios of board members
HFC and Dearborn Schools are unique in the state of Michigan as the only community college and public school district that share the same elected board members. Also, unique this year is how the board will transition.
Mozip was appointed to the board in 2019 to replace a trustee who stepped down. Because he was appointed instead of elected, Mozip will be replaced on the board by D’Ambrosio, who won the race to fill the remaining two years of that term. The transition will occur as soon as the election results are certified by Wayne County.
Depending on when the results are certified, D’Ambrosio could join the board in time for the Nov. 16 college board meeting, but it is more likely he would be sworn in before the Nov. 23 school district study session.
Mozip, Petlichkoff, and Watts will start their new six-year terms in January.
Mozip is a graduate of Fordson High School and the University of Michigan-Dearborn, with a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a minor in computer science. He also has an MBA from Wayne State University. He works as a senior web and mobile developer for Beaumont Health. He is married with two children.
Petlichkoff has served on the board for 10 years. She is a long-time member of the Dearborn City Beautiful Commission and is president of the Dearborn Federation of Neighborhood Associations.
Watts is a 22-year educator, a Dearborn parent, co-founder and executive director of All Things Michigan, and parent and PTA volunteer for several organizations.
D’Ambrosio is the founder and former CEO of Metric-Precision Tool, former president of the Exchange Club of Dearborn, and a member of the HFC President’s Advisory Council. He’s also coached football and Little League Baseball.
“I’m excited to welcome our two new board members. I know that they, too, are passionate about our district. All of the trustees are looking forward to hearing their thoughts and ideas and to watching them become an integral part of the board,” said Berry.
Kavalhuna and Maleyko publicly welcome the new board members
The Dearborn Schools has almost 21,000 students and a total budget of $312 million. HFC has about 12,000 students and a budget of $85 million. Nearly 40 percent of Dearborn Schools graduates attend HFC after graduation.
“It takes courage to run for public office, and we are grateful to all the members of our community who are willing to serve,” said HFC President Russell Kavalhuna. “We look forward to welcoming our new trustees to the board and working with all board members to continue serving our community and our state. I also want to personally thank Trustees Lane and Meade for their many years of distinguished service to our college and our district.”
Dearborn Schools Superintendent Dr. Glenn Maleyko agreed.
“Thank you to all the candidates who put in the time and effort to run for a position on the board for the school district and Henry Ford College,” said Maleyko. “Congratulations to our winners, and I look forward to working with all of our board members in the years to come. As Trustees Lane and Meade finish their last terms, I want to acknowledge the great work that they have done to put students first.”