MARY McALLISTER CLEVELAND, the long‑time Princeton City Schools board member and volunteer, was installed as the 2026 president of the Ohio School Boards Association during a ceremony in Princeton.

Tom Burton, a former Princeton City Schools principal and superintendent who served as master of ceremonies, opened the program by calling the event “more than a ceremonial transition” and introducing the day’s speakers and presentations. Veda a Stevens the second led an invocation asking for wisdom for education leaders and specifically naming Mary Cleveland for guidance in the year ahead.

The installation included a video profile, remarks from local and statewide education leaders, the oath of office and a moment of silence for a recently deceased Princeton educator. Thomas C. Patterson, outgoing OSBA president, and Jan Michelle Lehi Kearney, vice mayor of Cincinnati, joined the formal installation proceedings.

Tom Hossler, CEO of the Ohio School Boards Association, outlined three priorities he and Cleveland discussed for her term: “clarity” in OSBA messaging, greater statewide visibility and momentum toward unified advocacy. Hossler said Cleveland “believes it’s time to get back to the basics” of communicating why school boards matter.

Speakers representing career‑technical education and local district leadership emphasized Cleveland’s track record. Harry Snyder, president and CEO of Great Oaks Career Campuses, cited Cleveland’s work on career‑technical program expansion and campus renovations; Elgin Card, superintendent of the Princeton City School District, thanked Cleveland for her service to students and families in the district.

At the oath, Mary McAllister Cleveland pledged to support the U.S. and Ohio constitutions and to serve “as the 2026 president of the Ohio School Boards Association.” In her acceptance remarks she said Ohio’s students and educators deserve sustained support and urged collective effort to strengthen mental health, safety and access to opportunity: “Ohio’s children are better because of you,” she told the assembled school board members, superintendents, educators and family members.

The program closed with housekeeping items and an invitation to a reception in the school cafeteria. Organizers said Cleveland plans outreach across the state during her term; attendees noted she will travel to multiple counties as part of a listening and engagement effort.

Photos and additional materials were offered to participants after the ceremony.