Szekely's Board Service Ends

posted 12/19/23 -- LCCAA’s Board of Directors bade farewell to member Mike Szekley after he completed 15 years of service.

LCCAA board members are limited to a total of three, five-year terms. Szekely served as the designee for the City of Elyria. He also chaired the fund-raising committee as well as the agency’s annual wine tasting from its inception. He has agreed to chair the event in 2024.

Szekely recalled joining the board under contentious circumstances. Among the many decisions he participated in was the hiring of Jackie Boehnlein as CEO 11 years ago.

“There’s no way when I walked in here to start serving that I thought I’d be here for 15 years,” Szekely said at his – and Bohenlein’s – last board meeting in December.

“I got to vote for Jackie and that’s probably the greatest vote I ever made,” he said. “I was never disappointed.”

Szekely also praised his fellow board members, past and present, as hard working, caring people.

“The difference that makes successful boards and successful leaders, you don’t deny that you have a problem. You tackle it,” he said.

Chair Gerald Pippens thanked Szekely for serving the maximum number of allowable years as well as for rarely missing meetings.

“You set a great example as a board member,” he said. “It will be our loss.”