Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Jim Petro announced Monday that he will retire from public service as the state’s top higher-education chief on Feb. 1.
Petro, 64, was appointed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich in March 2011 and leads the University System of Ohio, one of the largest systems of public higher education in the United States.
Kasich said in a news release that he appreciates Petro's work to help bring improvements to the way Ohioans prepare for careers after high school.
“He’s helped change a system that needed changing and has been a committed advocate for Ohioans of all ages who want to learn, upgrade their skills and make their futures brighter,” Kasich said in the release. “I’ll miss working with him, but wish him and (his wife) Nancy well in this new chapter of their life together.”
Petro has served in public office for 28 years. In 2010, he and his wife co-authored the book False Justice, which addresses myths that lead to wrongful convictions in America’s criminal justice system.
“I am extremely honored that Gov. Kasich asked me to serve as chancellor of Ohio’s university system,” Petro said in the release. “Together we set an aggressive course for Ohioans to achieve a higher level of degrees and credentials of value that will help improve our state’s overall economic success. There is no better state in our country than Ohio, and I feel privileged to have served as attorney general, auditor of state, state representative, Cuyahoga County commissioner, councilman and law director. I am proud to have led teams of dedicated individuals whose goal has always been to serve Ohioans.”
bc822010@ohiou.edu
