By Scott Halasz
XENIA — The Xenia Community School District Board of Education filled a pair of vacancies during a special meeting Tuesday night.
Eric Soltis was named district treasurer, while Dr. Henry Jackoby’s appointment as the new high school principal was approved.
Soltis replaces Tracy Jarvis, who announced earlier this year she would leave when her contract expired July 1. Jackoby replaces Ted Holop, who will become Warner Middle School’s principal.
Soltis comes to Xenia from Pike-Delta-York Local Schools in northwest Ohio, where he has been treasurer since 2012. Soltis, 30, was also an assistant to the treasurer at Anthony Wayne Local Schools. A certified public accountant, he has an M.S. in business administration and a B.S. in technology from Bowling Green State University.
“He had Xenia and two other school systems fighting to get him to go to their districts,” Xenia school board president Bill Spahr said. “He’s young but he’s got a lot of experience. Sort of knocked everybody down he was so impressive with his interview. His referrals were all extremely strong also. Going to be a heck of an addition for the treasurer’s office.”
Soltis, who will start Aug. 1, received a three-year contract with an annual salary of $120,000.
“I’m certainly really excited about the opportunity,” Soltis said. “There’s, I believe, a lot of really good things going on at the district. Enrollment is increasing. They’re doing well financially. I want to come in and look to keep the ball rolling. It seems like a great career opportunity for myself and my family.”
Soltis is married to Kelly and has two daughters, Gianna and Emersyn.
Jackoby, 45, has been an administrator for Kettering City Schools, serving most recently as a principal at Kettering Middle School. He was Fairmont High School’s East Unit principal for almost eight years and was assistant principal at Milton-Union High School in Miami County before that.
“Words cannot express how excited I am for the opportunity to serve the the students and staff of Xenia High School and the Xenia community,” Jackoby said via email. “I know that Xenia is a close-knit community that supports and takes pride in its schools. Xenia families want nothing but the best for their children, and with 14 years as an administrator and 23 years in education, I believe it is our duty to provide every student with the opportunity to reach their potential and become contributing citizens. I look forward to becoming a part of and learning even more about the Xenia community. No matter your age, every day is a great day to learn.”
