Home builder tapped for seat on port board

11/16/2005

Lucas County commissioners appointed local home builder A. Bailey Stanbery to the Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority board of directors yesterday, making him the second new board member within weeks.

Mr. Stanbery was appointed to serve out the remainder of the term vacated by Thomas Schlachter, who resigned as of Oct. 26. Mr. Stanbery, president of Stanbery Homes Inc., will serve through July 31, 2008.

Involved in the building industry for 45 years, Mr. Stanbery also is a member of the Lucas County Plan Commission, Toledo Board of Zoning Appeals, Ohio Residential Construction Advisory Committee, and the Ohio Wetlands Foundation.

He also has served as past president of both the Home Builders Association of Greater Toledo and the Ohio Home Builders Association.

"I feel strongly about Toledo. When I was growing up in the building business, there was industry here," he said. "We need to promote Toledo, we need to promote the public school system. My feeling is that being a resident of the city and being a developer, I have the practical day-to-day knowledge of a businessman in Toledo.

"I could show outside concerns of building and living in Toledo," he said.

The seat is one of six county appointments to the board. In early October, the county appointed Jeri Milstead, dean of the college of nursing at the Medical University of Ohio, to replace Carty Finkbeiner.

The city appoints six seats, and the city and the county jointly decide the 13th member.

Although describing Mr. Schlachter's departure as a "loss of horsepower," Commissioner Pete Gerken said Mr. Stanbery's addition involves a history of building within the city's core.

Commissioner Maggie Thurber added that it was Mr. Stanbery's financial expertise that brought him to the top of the list of candidates.

Because the county advertised for candidates when Mr. Finkbeiner resigned to run for mayor, the same pool of candidates was again considered for the vacancy.

Other candidates whose applications were considered include Oregon City Administrator Ken Filipiak, attorney Linda Jennings, and Toledo Zoo task force member Stan McCormick.

Mr. Schlachter said in his resignation letter that he wanted to avoid the conflict of interest that would evolve because of his involvement with the perishables importing facility project at Toledo Express Airport.

The port authority oversees the operations of the Port of Toledo, Martin Luther King, Jr., train station, and Toledo Express and Metcalf airports. It is funded by Lucas County property owners who pay a 0.4-mill levy that raises $2.5 million a year.

Board President Tom Palmer and port authority President James Hartung could not be reached for comment yesterday.