The chief of university police is homesick.
Wednesday will mark Ron Michalec’s retirement from Ohio State, so he can return to his hometown near Akron, where most of his family resides.
“My relatives and my wife’s folks are all in northeastern Ohio,” Michalec said. “So we decided to buy some property in Medina.”
Michalec began applying for a new job in the surrounding areas until he landed the chief position of the Pepper Pike Police Department in eastern Cleveland. He will be sworn in Dec. 17.
“This has been a fantastic place to work,” Michalec said. “I’m particularly grateful of the support of the community. Without it, we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what we have in the last 12 1/2 years.”
Michalec said OSU’s police department has worked diligently to build a relationship with the university community through a three-step process, which includes getting to know the community, understanding the problems that plague the community and solving those problems.
“His greatest contribution is his openness, his flexibility and his willingness to work with students, meet with students and meet with members of the community,” said John Kleberg, director of risk assessment in Student Affairs. “The police were not separated from the community; they were a part of the community – that’s his most significant contribution.”
When Michalec first arrived at OSU in 1991, he served as a chief deputy. In February 1994, Kleberg announced his appointment to chief of University Police.
“He’s my biggest mentor – I call him dad,” Michalec said. “He really was an inspiration and a terrific amount of guidance. He has a tremendous wealth of ideas on how to make improvements and changes.”
Michalec takes pride in his staff and hopes to see the same support and quality at Pepper Pike, he said.
“I could not have worked for a finer group of people or gotten greater support,” he said. “The department has to take a great deal of pride in what they’ve accomplished. We’ve gotten a lot closer to the city of Columbus.”
Steven Gammill, deputy chief of the Columbus Division of Police, has focused on the sections of the city surrounding the campus area, working with Michalec on riot and crime issues.
“He’s easy to work with and cooperative,” Gammill said. “I wish him good luck in his retirement.”
After repeated attempts, Vernon Baisden, assistant vice president of university public safety, did not immediately return calls from The Lantern because of the National Conference Addressing Issues Related to Celebratory Riots, which started yesterday.
