Thomas S. Acker, S.J. Ph.D. 
 Administrator

Fr. Acker received his Doctorate Degree in Biology from Stanford University. While continuing research on reproduction in insects, he completed studies in theology and was ordained as a Jesuit Catholic Priest. He taught biology for two years at John Carroll University in Cleveland and seven years at the University of Detroit Mercy.

In 1972, he received a Fulbright Scholarship to Nepal and worked to redo and implement a new biology curriculum for the entire country. Following Nepal, he was an Associate Professor of Biology at the University of San Francisco and then became Dean of Arts, Sciences, and Business at St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia.

In 1982, he was elected as President of Wheeling Jesuit University and served there for eighteen years. He was then elected President Emeritus. He moved to southern West Virginia to work in economic development. Here he built and directed a new public college campus combining five public colleges, was able to obtain a health clinic in a struggling area of southern West Virginia, and secured over $45 million in grants that promoted southern West Virginia. During this period, he served as Dean at Future Generations Graduate School while they were obtaining their accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association.

In his eleven years in southern West Virginia, he was Chairman and CEO of the Higher Education Foundation and the CEO of Forward Southern West Virginia, Inc. In 2010, he was elected President of the Greenbrier Valley Chapter of Sigma Xi and headquartered it at the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. With the cooperation of his colleagues, they increased the membership fourfold in one year. 

 He was elected in mid-December, 2012, to lead Sigma Xi — the international honor society of research scientists, engineers and technicians — during the organization’s first open electronic vote by its general membership. (In the past, only delegates have voted). He will join the nonprofit’s board in July as president-elect designate and take his post as president July 1, 2013.

August 1, 2012, Father Acker  become administrator of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Randolph, Oh.  Fr. Tom can be reached by calling the rectory at 330-628-9941 or at acker5@earthlink.net..
 

Steven Gies                                  

Permanent Deacon       

Ordained in 1999, Deacon Gies came to St. Joseph's Church in 2003. He is involved in many aspects of the church, including the GOF program and assisting Father Tom with the Mass. Deacon is also very active in a prison ministry and the Eagle Scout program of the Boy Scouts of America.

Deacon can be reached by calling the rectory at 330-628-9941

 

Beth Frank
Principal, ACE, St. Joseph School

Beth Frank grew up on a dairy farm in Harrisburg, Ohio, belonged to Sacred Heart of Mary Parish and graduated from Marlington High School. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education at Carlow College in Pittsburgh, PA, her Master's Degree in Family Therapy and Theology from the College of Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati, OH, and her Master's Degree in Education Administration at Ursuline College in Cleveland, OH. Prior to going  to St. Joseph's in Mantua, she was a teacher of grades 1-2 for seven years and of Junior High for eighteen years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Parish Director of Religious Education for six years at St. Paul's in North Canton and for two years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora, and the principal of St. Paul's, North Canton for one year. She says that she has been very blessed with a deep passion and concern for the total education of children, especially at the elementary and junior high levels. The theater, dining out, and reading are among her favorite things to do. Family gatherings are always delightful because of numbers and they love to get together for any reason. As of August 1, 2010, Beth became the parish's Director of Religious Education at St. Joe's, Mantua. After forty seven years of combined academic and religious education ministries, Beth retired from there on June 30, 2011.
On  August 15, 2011, she became the new principal at St. Joseph School in Randolph. As of June 30, 2014, Beth retired after 50 continous years in the educational field. Full retirement was short-lived . . . as of December 1, 2014, Beth was hired as the Program Director of ACE (Advancing Catholic Education) at St. Joseph, Randolph, and returned as our school principal.

Sandy Blazewick
Executive Assistant