MARBLE CLIFF Council Members are Proud to Serve

The Village of Marble Cliff, population 576 as of the 2010 census, has a Mayor/Council form of government. The Mayor and six Council members are elected to four-year terms. In November 2011, Kendy Troiano and Rob Sterneker were reelected to serve four more years on Village Council. Both say they have enjoyed their past service to Marble Cliff and look forward to their new terms.

Kendy Troiano was born in Springfield and moved from Columbus to Grandview Heights in 1974. She graduated from Grandview Heights High School, where she met Sam Jr., son of longtime Grandview Heights Service Director Sam Troiano Sr. The high school sweethearts married in 1978. Sam Jr. and Kendy have lived on Cardigan Avenue in Marble Cliff since 1990, where they raised their son and daughter.

Kendy’s accounting and human resource studies at Franklin University prepared her well for her current job as Human Resources and Benefits Director at the Clark Grave Company. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, reads “voraciously” and watches any type of sports, especially the Blue Jackets and football.

This will be Kendy’s first full term on Council. She previously filled two remaining years of a Council vacancy. “It was time to give back to the community that had given me so much. There were no children at home and Sam Sr. had retired from Grandview,” she says. “I really enjoy talking and listening to residents and bringing their thoughts to Council. Our government is so ‘open door;’ anyone can talk to anyone at anytime. And neighbors look out for each other.”

As a Council member, Kendy leads the Village’s Block Watch efforts and has coordinated the Village’s holiday party. “I really enjoy the community atmosphere and feel my job as a Council member is to create a positive opinion of Marble Cliff,” she says.

Robert “Rob” Sterneker was born and raised on a farm in south-central Kansas and earned his Business Administration degree from Kansas State University. Upon graduation, his first job with the Maytag Corporation was to work the southern Ohio sales territory. “I came to Columbus with that assignment in 1990 and met Grandview resident Stacey Smith. We married in 1994 and have lived in the Grandview area ever since,” Rob says. Rob and Stacey moved to Cambridge Boulevard in Marble Cliff seven years ago and are the proud parents of five sons, ages 8-16. Rob worked for Maytag for 18 years before joining Bosch Siemens Home Appliances as District Manager, responsible for Ohio and northeast Indiana. He uses his spare time to coach youth sports and helping Stacey make sure the boys are in the right places at the right times.

Rob first ran for Village Council in 2007. “My father was a County Commissioner in Kansas and I knew it was good to be involved in the community. Serving on our Council makes me aware of where our tax dollars are going,” Rob says. “I feel my business background can be helpful to Council. We need to continue to increase our economic development efforts and fill our vacant office buildings with new businesses. Marble Cliff borders great communities and is part of a fine school system. My family and I really appreciate the safety and feeling of this small community.”

Eyes, Ears and Noses of the Village

Every community has its share of owners walking their dogs each day and Marble Cliff is no exception. Marble Cliff dogs and their owners enjoy well-maintained sidewalks, neatly-groomed tree lawns and the camaraderie that comes with this daily activity. Over the years, dog walkers have helped the Village and Grandview Police by reporting possible problems that might need to be addressed.

Longtime resident Dale Johnson has been one those “reporters.” He and his dog, Ginger, a Leonberger, accumulated more than 5,000 miles walking the Village regularly each morning and late afternoon for the past 12 years. Sadly, Ginger passed away in late December. In her lifetime, Ginger had a seven-year career in pet therapy and became a national superstar, according to Dale. He says she loved the “work.” By his estimates, Ginger had more than 13,000 resident contacts at 23 rehab hospitals and nursing homes in central Ohio. Ginger will be missed by Jamie, Heidi, Jackson and all of her Village friends.