Board of Trustees

Brook N. Harless
(330) 244-8463

After Brook medically retired from the Army, she graduated several Leadership Academies including the Stark County Signature Program, Ohio Township Association Leadership Academy, Stark County Government Leadership Academy, Stark County Citizen Police Academy, American Legion Extension Institute, Grassroots Leadership Academy Level I and II. She was one of 30 fellows who graduated from the prestigious Leadership Ohio program in the fall of 2023. Brook holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in English and History and an Associate degree from Central Texas College. She is a 1994 graduate of East Canton High School.

Brook was inducted into the Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame, United Way’s Volunteer of the Year, honored to be a recipient of Stark County's 20 under 40 award, Northeast Ohio CLEO Dream Builder award as well as a recent inductee into the YWCA Women's Hall of Fame and Rotarian of the Year. Most recently she was named Ohio's Mother of the Year, National Military Mother of Year and She Elevates Women's Leadership Award among others.

She works tirelessly on behalf of her community as a Concerned Veterans of America’s Strike Team Leader, Rotary Club of Plain Township Past President, American Legion 44, Military Women Across the Nation Unit 21 Executive Board, American Red Cross Services to Armed Forces caseworker and Disaster Action Team member, Ohio Veterans Coalition Co-Chair, and on the Stark County Veterans Task Force. Her volunteerism extends to the community at large through both the American Red Cross and Stark County Hunger Task Force Board of Directors Executive Committee, Coalition of Large Urban Townships Executive Committee, North Canton Chamber Board of Directors, Honor Home Advisory Committee, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health Mission Advancement Committee, OneOhio Region 6 Opioid Settlement Board, and the Plain Township Historical Society. She was recently elected as the first female President of the Stark County Township Association. Brook is the Grassroots Director for Concerned Veterans of America, the Arrow Passage Recovery Community Liaison and an independent consultant.

Brook's roots are based in Plain Township. Her grandparents graduated from Middlebranch High School and her adopted parents were among the first graduates of Glenwood High School. Brook’s extended family still lives in Plain today. Brook was born in Canton, Ohio and has lived in Stark County for over 20 years with the last 15 years in Plain Township. She works to improve her community all the while raising her 3 boys: Mason, Brantley, and Weston with her husband, Steve.

Brook's door is always open, and she will strive to answer any and all concerns of the residents of Plain Township.

Contact Brook Harless

Scott M. Haws
(330) 244-8477

Mr. Scott Haws, MBA, PMP, CSM, is a dedicated lifelong resident of Stark County, residing in Plain Township. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration with a focus on Finance from Kent State University, along with a Masters of Business Administration from Walsh University. Scott is a highly certified professional, including PMI's Project Management Professional (PMP), Scrum Alliance's Certified Scrum Master, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. He has also completed Six Sigma Black Belt training and graduated from The Ohio Township Associations Advanced Leadership Academy 2.0. Additionally, he is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, Cleveland Division, and holds the Ohio Treasurer of State Center for Public Investment Management (CPIM) certification. Scott is a Dale Carnegie graduate and has completed both the Leadership Stark County Signature and Government Academy programs.

Currently, Scott serves as an integral member of the Independence Pet Group team. He has been dedicated to Plain Township for over a decade, having assumed the role of Plain Township Trustee in 2010. His professional journey has encompassed a range of roles in Program Management, Project Management, Sales, Service Operations, Planning, Business Development Management, and Director of Operations across various sectors, including banking technology security, healthcare, insurance, and construction industries.

An active contributor to the community, Scott serves as both past President and current Vice President of the Stark County Township Association and currently presides as the President of the Stark County Access Management Board. He is a member of the Stark County Regional Planning Commission and the Ohio Township Association. Scott also represents Plain Township on the Stark County Council of Governments (SCOG), where he is an Executive Committee Member, and the Plain Township Tax Incentive Review Council. Furthermore, he played a key role as an inaugural founding Township Board Member of The Stark County Land Reutilization Corporation.

Scott's dedication extends to his involvement with numerous community organizations. He currently holds the position of Executive Board Vice President for Serving Area Military Veterans and Widows SAM Center and serves as a Board Member for Arika's Angels. He was previously a Board Member of the North Canton YMCA, where he chaired the Facilities Committee, as well as a Board Member for Operations Flags of Freedom. Additionally, he has been a member of the Plain Township Rotary Club and a Board Member/Officer of the DN Community Federal Credit Union, also contributing to the ALM Finance committee. Scott has been actively involved with Leadership Stark County and the Plain Township Historical Society.

Scott's remarkable contributions have not gone unnoticed, as he received the YStark! Inaugural Twenty under 40 Award and the Leadership Stark County 30 Faces of Leadership award in 2017. His alma mater, Walsh University, recognized his accomplishments with the Outstanding Achievement Award. Most recently, Kent State University's Alumni Association honored him with the Distinguished Citizen Award, acknowledging his extraordinary service to the public, characterized by unselfish and generous contributions to his community.

Scott welcomes residents to reach out to him with any Plain Township inquiries, concerns, or feedback.

Contact Scott Haws

John Sabo John A. Sabo
(330) 244-8478

John A Sabo is a lifelong resident of Plain Township having been born and raised here, graduated from Glenwood High School in 1968, and was employed by the Plain Township Fire Department for 44 years including 17 years as Fire Chief. He retired in January of 2012. John has been married to Marilyn, a 1969 Glenwood graduate, for 48 years. They have a son, Brian, a 1992 Glenoak graduate and a daughter, Lindsay, a 2000 Glenoak graduate who are both teachers.

John has attended Kent State University and Stark State College and is an instructor in the Fire Science Degree and Certification programs and has been for 36 years. He has attended the National Fire Academy four times, three of which were courses specific to Incident Command and Incident Management.

In addition to being a Rotary International Paul Harris Fellow, John also became a fellow of the Ohio Fire Chief's Foundation at the Association's 2011 Annual Conference. In 2012, John was inducted into the Plain Local Hall of Distinction for community involvement. He has been involved with the Stark County Developmentally Disabled Great Pumpkin Race and the Heroes Flagpole Project in the Glenoak stadium at Bob Commings Field. He has received certification for completion in the Ohio Township Leadership Academy in 2017.

You can reach John with any questions, concerns, or comments using the link below.

Contact John Sabo