Xenia Community Schools Foundation Announces Hall of Honor Class of 2022
Congratulations are in order for the Xenia Community Schools Foundation Hall of Honor Class of 2022! Five new members will be honored this year. The Twenty-fourth Annual Hall of Honor Dinner and Induction Ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, April 23, 2022, 6:30 PM at Tecumseh Elementary School. The dinner will be preceded by the Eighth Annual Silent Auction for Grants beginning at 5:30 PM. Tickets are $35.00 each and are available at the Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is located at 334 W. Market Street. Call: (937) 372-3591 for more information.
The Xenia Community Schools Foundation invites the community to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2022 Hall of Honor inductees:
Danny R. Cassity, XHS Class of 1968,Teacher, Coach, Administrator and Role Model, exhibited strong leadership skills in high school where he was Student Council Vice President, President and a member of the National Honor Society. He was also a successful football athlete, and named MVP in his senior year, along with ALL-WOL and ALL-Area. He earned two varsity letters in both football and baseball.
Danny Cassity attended Morehead State University, earning a BA in Political Science and an MA in Secondary Education. He acquired a certification in Secondary Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. He served in the Kentucky school system for 39 years including 23 years as a teacher, 26 years as a coach, and 16 years as an administrator. Danny was appointed a “Kentucky Colonel” in 1985 by the governor after attending the Visiting Teachers Institute through the Kentucky Governor’s Scholar Program. This recognition is synonymous with character, leadership, and dedication to the welfare of others.
During his years of service in the Kentucky school system Danny was awarded honors as a teacher, football coach and mock trial team coach. He was selected as one of Kentucky’s Outstanding Social Studies teachers and was twice chosen as Kentucky Football Coach of the Year. His two state champion mock trial teams represented Kentucky in National High School Mock Trial Championships. Danny’s life has been a reflection of the values he acquired from his experiences as a student in the Xenia Community Schools and the Xenia community as a whole.
Evan Davis, XHS Class of 2008, Student Role Model and Courageous Career Foreign Service Officer, was a member of Key Club, Spanish Club, and Student Council. He participated in a number of theatrical productions, was a member of the XHS Vocal Ensemble, the XHS Tenor-Bass Choir, and the Advanced Theatrical Production Showcase.
After receiving a Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate Fellowship for Foreign Affairs and a Foreign Language and Areas Studies Fellowship, he graduated from the Ohio State University in 2012 with a B.A. in International Relations. While at Ohio State, Evan was named the 2011 Homecoming King to honor his academic excellence and contributions to the student body. In 2014, he obtained an M.A. in International Economics and Latin American Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Prior to assuming his current role in Washington, D.C., as Special Assistant to the Spokesperson of the U.S. Department of State, Evan served as the Spokesperson and senior media advisor for the Afghanistan Affairs Unit based in Doha, Qatar. Previously, he served as the Deputy Spokesperson at U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan. Evan’s other Foreign Service assignments include Gaborone, Botswana; Caracas, Venezuela; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is the recipient of the numerous Department of State Superior Honor and Meritorious Honor Awards.
Evan and his colleagues were forced to evacuate the U.S. Embassy after the fall of Kabul on August 15, 2021. Amid the withdrawal of US and NATO forces and during the final days of the war in Afghanistan, Evan worked hand in hand with military officials on the evacuation of 123,000 Americans and Afghan nationals - the largest airlift in history. Working in difficult conditions and at great personal risk, he was one of the last American diplomats to depart Afghanistan. The evacuation was a major humanitarian effort that shaped the future of U.S. foreign policy.
Ronald Chess Lewis, XHS Class of 1984, Prosecutor, Judge, Community Volunteer and Role Model, has lived and worked professionally in the City of Xenia for nearly his entire career. As a Xenia City Prosecutor and Law Director for almost twenty years, he served the people of Xenia, victims of crimes, and law enforcement officers. He advocated for community members citywide. Ron Lewis was elected to the position of Xenia Municipal Court Judge in January 2020, and processed 12,000 cases per year. Cases ranged from speeding tickets to DUI’s, and from simple assaults to domestic violence. These crimes touch every corner of the Xenia Community. He was appointed in January 2022, by Governor Mike DeWine, to serve as a judge in the Second District Court of Appeals. He is the first judge in many decades, from Greene County, to serve in this role.
Ron has been a very active member of the community and, and over the years, served on a number of Boards both in leadership positions and as a board member. Some of those include: Xenia Rotary, Greene County Family Violence Prevention Center, Greene County Fraternal Office of Police, Greene County Community Network, Glen Helen, Greene County Law Library, Xenia Area Chamber of Commerce, Greene County Bar Association, Greene County Bar Association Grievance Committee, Republican Central Committee. He is a member of Faith United Methodist Church and is a former member of the Dayton Masonic Learning Center. Ron is the past president of the Greene County Bar Association.
Ron Lewis has dedicated his career to public service and has shown care, respect and commitment to the health, welfare and growth of the Xenia Community. He is an advocate for victims of crimes, as well as a resource for those in need of assistance. after falling to a low point in life. He is respected in the community, showing concern and care for individuals who appear before him and believes Xenia is only as strong and healthy as each individual community member.
Carla Long, Xenia Educator, Teacher, Principal, and Education Advocate has been described district's dream of a topnotch principal. She laid the cornerstone of success for many students in the Xenia Community and impacted her staff to strive for excellence. Carla formed a strong foundation by working from “the ground up." She began her career in Germany working as an aide and substitute teacher, and progressing to a teaching associate in Goldsboro, North Carolina. In 1984, Carla brought her strong teaching ability, ,professional leadership style and passionate personality to Xenia Schools where she remained for twenty-eight years. She led Xenia students and staff to at Tecumseh Elementary to a designation of a “School of Excellence”;" the first in the district. Tecumseh Elementary remained a "School of Excellence" for many years, Carla obtained her assistant superintendent certification in 1995. She taught elementary education for ten and a half years at Spring Hill and completed her last sixteen and a half years as an elementary principal at Arrowood and Tecumseh.
Carla Long was a part of the grant writing team for the district, and she continued as a principal to write numerous grants to benefit Xenia schools. Carla was part of a number of grants and committees including: Coordinator of Peers, Parent Connection, Greene County Social Studies Curriculum, Building Staff Development Team, Conflict Peer Resolution Program, Intergenerational Learn and Serve, and the Community Action Team that was responsible for implementation of the action steps in restructuring the district. She presented the Conflict Resolution Program to Wilmington College undergraduates, the Superintendent's Community Advisory Committee, WOEA Day, and parent and staff meetings. She brought the Renaissance Program to Xenia High School.
People were drawn to Carla's expertise in education. She ran well-organized meetings, expected excellence from staff and students, was willing to evaluate common practices, invited change as a means to growth and achievement. She researched innovative ideas to solve problems and boost education, and always displayed her infectious passion that got everyone engaged..
Her sphere of influence was contagious! Carla has been described as a magnetic force, drawing people and resources into action. She created an open, inviting atmosphere that encouraged collaboration with administrators, staff, parents, students, and community members with enthusiasm and positivity. Carla was a dedicated worker, devoting well over 100 percent of her time to Xenia Schools. She will be best remembered for her Peace Rule: Use kind words and kind actions.
Cheryl D. Marcus, XCS Board of Education, Educational Leader and Role Model, has demonstrated her devotion to the children of Xenia Community Schools through her sixteen years of service on the Xenia Community Schools Board of Education from 1994 -2001 and 2014-2021. Over her lengthy career on the Board, she served as president and vice president and was actively involved in several district committees. She earned the Ohio School Board Association Award of Achievement. She has been effective in raising awareness of the district to workforce diversity, curricula enhancements, to increasing volunteerism and partnerships with local universities.
Cheryl was inducted into the Greene County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2017. She is a long-time Xenia resident and graduated from Central State University in 1980. She earned an Ed. S. degree in educational leadership from the University of Dayton and completed the 2005 Management Development Program sponsored by Harvard University.
Mrs. Marcus, with her husband Robert, raised five very successful children who all attended and graduated from Xenia Schools. Not only has Cheryl served as a role model and leader to the district but she also has been active in the Xenia Community Schools Foundation. She is very involved in her church, United A.M.E. where she serves on the Steward Board and the Usher Board, while supporting the other ministries. Cheryl is past president of the Wilberforce Chapter of Links, Inc.
Mrs. Marcus has championed public education and served as an exemplary model of service. Her service to the Board and Xenia Schools was and is that of a professional with integrity, honesty, dedication and grace. She builds bridges by fostering inclusion, empowerment and education. Through her contributions to the Xenia Community Schools over many years, she shas earned the designations of “Educational Leader” and “Role Model” for current and future generations of students and community members.
The Xenia Community Schools Foundation is dedicated to enriching the academic pursuits of all students, faculty and staff within the Xenia Community Schools. The Foundation has provided grants for classroom enrichment programs and scholarships from donations and investment income of the Foundation for more than thirty years.
