Westerville North High School Hall of Fame inductees Gary Hoffman and Ron Thomas.
Westerville North High School inducted three alumni into its Hall of Fame at a luncheon and ceremony held April 10 – Lori Gill Grennan, Gary Hoffman and Ron Thomas. The school’s Superintendent’s Student Advisory Committee selected those honored from a pool of applicants who graduated at least 10 years ago, have demonstrated success in their career, and have made significant contributions to their community.
Superintendent John Kellogg meets with the Student Advisory throughout the school year and he praised the pupils for their honesty and respectful perspectives which help identify and find solutions to district-wide concerns. He also thanked this year’s group of Hall of Fame inductees for the example they have set.
Lori Gill Grennan graduated from North in 1995. As a high school student, she was a delegate to Girls’ State, captain of Color Guard and Winter Guard, an editor of the yearbook, and a member of the marching band. Grennan received a Bachelor of Science degree from Ohio University (OU) and a medical degree from OU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine. After being diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer, Dr. Grennan founded Hunt for Hope, a nationwide charity that has raised more than $150,000 for cancer research. She also used social media to mentor and comfort others who also were battling cancer. Prior to her death in 2013, she was a family physician at Family Medicine at Darby Creek. She is survived by her husband, Kevin, and children Liam and Nora of Lewis Center, Ohio. Dr. Grennan was nominated by the Gill family.
Gary Hoffman, a 1977 graduate, was active in choir and was a member of the National Honor Society. He also played on North’s tennis team and was named a National Merit Finalist. Hoffman went on to graduate from the Pratt Institute in New York with a degree in Communication Design. A graphic designer, he currently is self employed with JDI Apollo Graphic Communication. Hoffman has coached and refereed for area soccer and basketball teams, having lived in Westerville since 1971. He serves on the Communications Committee at Church of the Messiah and also has donated his talents to Goodwill Industries. Additionally, he has donated time to area schools. Hoffman lives in Westerville with his wife, Rhonda. They are the parents of Jordan and Courtney Hoffman. He was nominated by his family.
1981 Westerville North graduate Ron Thomas lettered in varsity football and varsity basketball. After graduation, he completed a two-year HVAC design program at Columbus State. He is currently a self employed business owner. He runs H.E.A.T. Total Facility Solutions, a company dedicated to the school market and one of Ohio’s largest energy conservation operations. He also owns AASE Sales, which focuses on Porsche parts and restoration. With more than 50 racing victories, Thomas operates a Porsche museum in Galena, Ohio. His volunteer work in Central Ohio is extensive. As a member of Olentangy Local Schools’ Facility Committee, Thomas helped reduce the district’s operating costs by 20 percent. He also serves as chairperson of the Mid-Ohio Region Porsche Club of America and Porsches 2 Ohio (P2O), an annual show with nearly 500 cars. Under his leadership, P2O donates part of the show’s proceeds to local charities, including $50,000 to cancer organizations, as well as to local humane societies. Thomas resides in Galena, Ohio. He was nominated by retired Westerville North teacher and football coach Ron Balconi.