Photo courtesy of John Nixon
Mary Ann Krauss has lived in the same house in Upper Arlington for the last 50 years. And though many of these years, she has used her time to better her community through work at the Upper Arlington Board of Education, City Council and many other boards and projects.
“I always approached my service with the idea that I wanted to serve the greater good of the community,” Krauss says. “And that is not always my personal goal, because sometimes you have to look at what is best for the whole, not what is best for individuals. I hope I can be remembered with that as my personal goal.”
Creativity and experience are some of Krauss’ biggest strengths, even going back to her time at the UA Board of Education in the 1980s. Krauss wanted to help not only schoolchildren, but alumni and teachers as well, with ideas for programs to send teachers to extra classes away from Upper Arlington. Though these never came to fruition, Krauss’ conviction eventually created a real change. Upper Arlington’s schools, many of which were built in the 1950s, are now getting refurbished.
“I found that those eight years were very rewarding to me, I grew myself in terms of being aware of how school funding worked,” says Krauss. “We are at such a disadvantage in the state of Ohio and school funding, and in fact it’s in the state legislature now for about the fortieth time. We are very fortunate in one respect, in the way Ohio education funding works, it’s primarily the taxpayers in the individual districts and we are fortunate to have a base that will support school levies and bond issues.”
Some of Krauss’ finest work is inspired by the needs of the community, even when she encounters resistance. In 1983, she started fundraising for what would become the Burbank Early Childhood School. Some community members, including several in City Council, did not see a need for childcare centers in Upper Arlington. But Krauss knew that many women during that time were going back to work and really needed this service. In 1985, after significant contributions from the UA Board of Education and the City Council, the center opened with three teachers and 18 children. The school currently serves hundreds of families and holds full preschool and kindergarten classes.
Krauss was appointed to City Council in 2003 and served two terms after that. Many of Krauss’ projects stem from past failures to approve levies in the Upper Arlington area. Her work with the Upper Arlington Community Foundation started because the community wanted to build a highly coveted community center. The foundation raised more than a million dollars to build the Amelita Mirolo Barn in 2011, which helps fund many of the foundation’s other projects.
Even with all the fundraising and work, some of these projects just have to wait for the right time. Upper Arlington is still missing its community center, but with continuous support, will one day be enjoyed by the community.
“Everything has to have its day and it takes a lot of effort to get everything in place for something good for something as large as that will be to happen,” Krauss says. “I do hope it comes soon.”
This devotion to her community is not just important to her work with organizations. Krauss’ motivation is deeply rooted in family. She has four children and six grandchildren who lived and graduated in Upper Arlington. Service has always been a part of Krauss’ life and the lives of those around her. She says service has been a generational expectation.
Since her time with the UA Board of Education and City Council ended, she has moved to other community service organizations. She is very active with First Community Church and First Community Village, which is currently being rebuilt to better accommodate the retirees. Most recently, she joined the Boundless Board, an organization created to help people with disabilities and their families.
“I enjoy it, first of all, but secondly, I think experience is a great teacher, and the more I am on boards, the more ability I have to recognize issues and to be aware of issues that may be confronting us,” Krauss says. “I have had the great fortune to live in Upper Arlington for over 50 years, and time has allowed me to be sustainable.
Krauss plans to continue working hard, as she finds community service not only valuable, but crucial.
“I would just like to say that even though by some people’s standards I may have given years of service, I have received many times over more than I ever gave,” she says.
Maria Lubanovic is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
