School board president will move out of district, resigns his position

WARREN — The Warren Woods Public Schools Board of Education is losing a longtime member.

On Oct. 10, Board President Jere Green announced he is stepping down. Last month, he submitted a letter of resignation to Superintendent Stacey Denewith-Fici and his fellow board members. Green has been on the school board approximately 29 years.

“That’s a long time,” Green said. “That’s a lot of community involvement, and that’s hard to step away from.”

Green said he is stepping down from public office because he is moving out of the district. After much thought and consideration, he and his wife Judy — a retired Hazel Park Schools teacher — want to spend more time with their children and grandchildren.

The couple, both 68, are relocating to Plymouth to be closer to their daughter Katie, her husband and three children. The Greens also will have more time to visit their daughter, Melissa, who lives in Kentucky with her husband and two children. Both Katie and Melissa are Warren Woods Tower High School graduates.

“I want to see my grandkids more than I see them right now,” Green said. “I want to be a bigger part of them growing up.”

After announcing his resignation, Green looked back on his nearly three-decade tenure on the board.

“The entire board has always understood what their role is. We also worked as a team,” Green said. “None of us came into this with a personal agenda. The board has maintained a very healthy relationship. We always got the support from the community to pass our bond issues. We were strong advocates for our unions right down the line, teachers, bus drivers, cooks and custodians.”

Green also recognized the work the staff is doing in the district.

“Stacey is an incredible superintendent. We never micromanaged the superintendent,” he said. “(Deputy Superintendent) Neil Cassabon is a phenomenal business manager. We’ve been financially stable and sound.”

When reflecting on his years on the board, Green said “the most challenging” time was during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We did remote for quite a while,” Green said. “It was a tough situation for educators.”

He also noted the importance of updating school security measures and technology, especially within the last five to 10 years.

The 1973 Mott High School graduate has deep roots in Warren. Both of his parents were educators, and his brother Patrick Green is the current Warren City Council president and mayor pro tem. Jere Green was a police officer in the Warren Police Department, moving up the ranks to become police commissioner. He left the police department in 2017.

Board Secretary Kay Walsh was “completely shocked” when her colleague announced his resignation.

“He’s got history here. I know it wasn’t an easy choice for him and his wife,” Walsh said. “I’m a little saddened. I will miss him terribly. I wish him the best of luck.”

The two have served on the school board the same number of years.

“We kind of grew up together on the board, learning all the ins and outs of it,” Walsh said. “He will be sorely missed by the community. He’s a great person and a wonderful school board president. It will be tough and it will be sad, but we will carry on.”

His absence will take some getting used to.

“I will greatly miss his dedication to the district and his unwavering commitment to public education,” Denewith-Fici said via email. “I will miss the ease and expertise with which he ran the board meetings. I will also miss his sense of humor and the stories about his children and grandchildren.”

Denewith-Fici called Green “a dedicated leader.” She first met the school board member in 1996 when she was hired as an English teacher at Warren Woods Tower High School. She even had both of his daughters in class.

“I got to know him best when I was appointed superintendent in April 2008,” Denewith-Fici said. “Mr. Green has been an asset to the district and community for over 30 years as a parent and School Board Member.  He makes decisions based on what is best for students and staff while remaining fiscally responsible.”

Denewith-Fici said she feels one of Green’s strengths is his background in leadership.

“While he was involved in law enforcement, those skills translated to his position on the board,” she said. “He knows his role as a board member is to set the policies and budget and to do what is best for students; while he is knowledgeable of all it takes to run a district and school, he holds the administration accountable to implement those policies within the budget.”

Green had been reelected to the school board in November 2022 for a six-year term. In the past, the school board members served four-year terms, and now they serve six-year terms.

School officials will appoint someone to fill the vacancy, and that person will serve until Dec. 31, 2024. Green said he will not be involved in the appointment of the new board member.

A candidate elected to the school board during the general election in November 2024 will complete the remainder of Green’s term of office. District officials accepted applications for candidates until Nov. 3, after the Warren Weekly went to press.

Interviews will be conducted at a public meeting during the month of November. The board may choose to interview some or all applicants. The chosen appointee will take office on Jan. 9, 2024.