YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Youngstown State University sent potential shockwaves through the Ohio political landscape this afternoon, with the Board of Trustees voting to offer U.S. Rep. Bill Johnson the position as the school's president.
The Board made the announcement Thursday following an emergency meeting regarding the presidential search, which has been ongoing since former President Jim Tressel's retirement in February. The Board will now begin negotiating with Johnson to see if a contract agreement can be reached.
Trustees Chair Michael Peterson released the following statement on the decision to offer Johnson the job:
"Congressman Johnson is a strong, innovative, servant leader who we believe will be well positioned to guide the university as we take charge of our future. The Presidential Search Guidance Committee, working with executive search firm Witt/Kiefer, did a great job identifying a highly qualified individual who will be able to position YSU for a vibrant future.
"I am excited for the offer. I am excited for the future of YSU and for the future of our students."
Johnson, a Republican who currently represents Ohio's 6th Congressional District, acknowledged the offer in his own statement Thursday afternoon. However, the 69-year-old has not yet decided of he will accept the position:
"Very recently I was made aware of the opportunity to become president of Youngstown State University by a national executive search firm. I wasn't looking for another job, because I love serving the people of Eastern Ohio. When I was approached about leading this great university, with student success at the forefront, and helping to prepare the next generation of Americans to lead, I listened.
"I continue to be honored and humbled to serve the men and women of Eastern Ohio in Congress, and if I determine this opportunity to lead YSU is a good fit, I'll have a very difficult decision to make. In the meantime, my focus will remain on representing Eastern Ohio in the U.S. House."
But despite the optimism from both Johnson and the Board, the vote has not been without controversy. 3News spoke with YSU philosophy professor and faculty union leader Dr. Mark Vopat this evening, and he told us, "Most of the staff and even students were not happy about the announcement today."
According to Vopat, the frustration stems not necessarily from Johnson as a person or even his political record, but from what Vopat describes as a decided lack of transparency from the Board in its search for a new president. Vopat says trustees did not publicly name any potential finalists for the job, did not allow those finalists to meet and talk with students and staff members, and even called today's emergency meeting with only hours notice.
"The board has been distant," Vopat claimed. "They haven't looked for input."
Vopat further called for the process to be "slowed down," something that could still theoretically occur since Johnson has not yet signed a contract with the school. In addition, Vopat says neither he not the faculty were aware Johnson was even being interviewed, and they found out about the offer with the rest of the general public.
"He is a complete unknown as a candidate for the job," Vopat added.
A former Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force and IT consultant, Johnson was elected to Congress in 2010 following a close race against incumbent Democrat Charlie Wilson. His district has always bordered the eastern edge of the state along the Ohio River, and currently includes not only all of Mahoning County but also the entirety of Carroll County as well as portions of Stark and Tuscarawas counties.
During his tenure, Johnson has been the primary sponsor of a number of bills that eventually became law, most notably the Veterans Health Care Facilities Improvement Act of 2011. Other pieces of legislation include measures to exempt fire hydrants from prohibitions against lead pipes, make burn centers eligible for trauma center grants, and remove certain regulations regarding coal mining near bodies of water.
Johnson has also been a reliable ally of former President Donald Trump, and in 2020 signed on to an amicus brief challenging the results of the election Trump lost to current President Joe Biden. Despite Trump continuing to falsely claim he won that election while also facing a number of criminal indictments, Johnson has endorsed Trump's 2024 bid for the White House, the Salem News reports.
More recently, Johnson has been involved in the aftermath of the toxic train derailment in East Palestine, helping coordinate cleanup efforts and sponsoring a bill meant to improve railroad safety. East Palestine is part of his district, as is Tuscarawas Valley High School, which just this week lost three students and three adult chaperones in a tragic bus accident on Interstate 70 in Licking County. Johnson has pledged to help the community "in any way possible."
Like Tressel, Johnson does not hold a doctorate degree, which is unusual for a university president. However, Tressel did have experience in higher education and deep ties to Youngstown State, including 15 years as head football coach that coincided with a stint as athletic director. The Mentor native also coached at Ohio State for 10 seasons and is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
Since Tressel stepped down earlier this year, Dr. Helen K. Lafferty has served as interim president, and Vopat praised her efforts in the temporary role. However, she opted not to seek the permanent position.
YSU has not provided a timeline for when a deal with Johnson may be reached, nor have they said if Johnson will meet with students and staff before formally accepting the job. Following his conversation with 3News, Vopat released the following statement on behalf of the Youngstown State University chapter of the Ohio Education Association:
"Faculty, staff, students, and community members were not part of the selection and interview process. We are disappointed that the YSU Board of Trustees would offer the presidency to anyone without first vetting the candidate through meetings with stakeholders.
"What happened here at YSU shortchanges faculty, staff, students, and members of the Youngstown community who deserve the opportunity to meet and ask questions of our prospective leaders, particularly leaders of public institutions.
"This undermines a lot of the progress we’ve made. We saw the benefit of transparency and including people in decision making under Lafferty's leadership. We saw the outcomes of that with contract negotiations this summer, when we agreed to a new contract before the fall semester. This year was a complete turn-around following years of protracted and contentious negotiations. And now we're back to square one.
"It was our understanding that Dr. Lafferty was appointed for 18 months to ensure that YSU had enough time to conduct a national search and involve the YSU community. Ending her tenure early and rushing through the selection process is entirely unnecessary.
"We encourage the Board to reconsider their unilateral decision to extend an offer without community input, resume the search, and fully vet the candidates by introducing them to community members before making a hiring decision."