MOUNT VERNON — Bruce E. Hawkins, who has served on Mount Vernon City Council as a member of the Republican Party for nine years, has recently filed to run for president of City Council. His extensive experience with government agencies at both the local and state levels makes him well qualified for the position.
Hawkins is in his 42nd year in education, 35 of which have been in administration including 15 as superintendent of schools in Knox County and 13 as CEO of the Management Council of the Ohio Education Computer Network. In these positions, he has regularly worked with multimillion-dollar government budgets and many legal aspects related to the public environment. He also serves on the eTech Ohio Commission as the appointee of then Senate President Bill Harris and is City Council appointee to The Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County.
Hawkins has always been active in the local and state community. In addition to being a superintendent of schools and a CEO, Hawkins was the president of the Buckeye Association of School Administrators (the state superintendents’ association), senior warder of the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Vestry, and board chairman of the United Way of Mount Vernon and Knox County. He is the chairman of The Community Foundation of Mount Vernon and Knox County. He is also a member of the Ambassador’s Club of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce.
As a council member, Hawkins regularly seeks input from community members. An example is his initiation of “chat with council” — a forum in which community members can discuss issues with council members in an informal atmosphere the first Saturday morning of each month.
Hawkins believes efficient and effective city government is an investment in the community. He feels a council president must be able to run efficient council meetings and assign issues to appropriate council committees, and he is very experienced in this kind of management. When appropriate decisions are made, property values will increase, business and industry will be attracted, and the residents will be proud of their community.
