NEW BPA OFFICERS … Karen Ford (left) was elected as vice-chairman, and Annette Schreiner (right) was elected as chairman for the 2026 Bryan Board of Public Affairs at its meeting on Tuesday, January 6.
By: John Fryman
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
john@thevillagereporter.com
A pair of board incumbents, Annette Schreiner and Karen Ford, were elected as chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, for 2026 at the Bryan Board of Public Affairs meeting on Tuesday, January 6.
Schreiner will be continuing her role as chairman for the Board of Public Affairs following a brief discussion on the matter from board member Brian Davis, who was attending his first meeting.
Davis expressed his desire to postpone the election of BPA officers until the next meeting, so the whole board will have an opportunity to participate.
“There is no guiding Revised Code that mandates that it’s done at this meeting. There is no penalty that the board maintains its authority, power, and control,” said Davis.
“I told them if they wanted to proceed, they could proceed, and they wouldn’t necessarily need me to participate. That was my feelings.”
Ford responded to Davis’ statement by understanding his perspective on the issue, but she also understood that even when the BPA gets a full board, she believed the positions would end up being the same.
“We will probably not follow what other people or boards do, of having a new member become a chairman or vice-chairman,” said Ford. “We’ll have somebody who has been a member.”
Ford would eventually agree to become vice-chairman, with Schreiner seconding the motion. She was appointed by a 2-0 vote with Davis abstaining.
Schreiner was elected as chairman by another 2-0 vote with Davis abstaining. Following the election of officers, the BPA then approved the minutes of the December 16 meeting.
An executive session followed, and the Board of Public Affairs appointed Jeremy Suffel and Deb Beevers to fill the two vacant seats. They will be sworn in and will join the board at the January 20 meeting.
One of those seats filled was the result of the resignation of board member Bob Eyre. Eyre had submitted his resignation on Wednesday, December 17, one day after he was sworn in for another four-year term.
In his resignation letter, Eyre apologized to Mayor Carrie Schlade, along with the Bryan Board of Public Affairs and the citizens of Bryan, for his inappropriate behavior at the December 16 board meeting.