Press Release
Posted February 3, 2023

Thomasina Patton, of Avon Lake, has joined the Lorain County Community College District Board of Trustees. Patton was appointed January 1, 2023, by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine for a term that runs through August 2027.

Thomasina Patton
Thomasina Patton

The nine-member board includes three members appointed by the governor, and six who are appointed by the Lorain County Commissioners.

“I have the highest regard for Lorain County Community College and will work diligently to perpetuate its standing in the community,” Patton said.

Patton’s appointment to the board continues decades of public service and volunteer work. She has held many roles with United Cerebral Palsy of Greater Cleveland, including serving on the board from 2002-2006. She continues to serve on the organization’s business advisory committee, helping individuals with disabilities to find employment in Northeast Ohio.

Patton and her husband, Thomas, were named Avon Lake Citizens of the Year in 2019 by the Lake Community Council for their efforts on the Avon Lake Bicentennial Committee.

In 2019, Patton formed the Avon Lake Republican Club and currently serves as president.

Additionally, her past volunteer efforts include coaching soccer, serving as a Guardian Ad Litem, Girl Scout leader, and involvement in parent-teacher associations. She has volunteered with the Easter Seals, the League for Women Voters, and held fundraising events for many organizations, with a special focus on helping children with disabilities.

The importance of accessible higher education is a point Patton holds dear. After high school, she recalls commuting by bus from the westside of Cleveland to John Carroll University, where she took early morning classes while also working a full-time job in downtown Cleveland.

For more than three decades Patton and her husband owned and operated successful insurance businesses.

“Thomasina’s focus on service and her enthusiasm for this community will be an asset to the board as they guide LCCC into the future,” said LCCC President Marcia J. Ballinger, Ph.D.

Patton replaces Teresa Gardner, whose term ended, on the LCCC District Board of Trustees.

Donald Ortner was reappointed by DeWine to the board for a third term that will run through August 2027. Ortner was first appointed by Governor John Kasich in 2012.