Jack Amrhein was just a young man from Parma Heights when he decided to follow one of his best friends from high school to Kent State.
Amrhein graduated from Cuyahoga Community College and was seeking a four-year degree to become a teacher. While attending the university, Amrhein had a great college experience and developed a strong connection to the city of Kent.
“I met my wife at Kent State, and both of our kids went there,” he said. “We immediately fell in love with this town, and that’s why we stayed.”
After graduating with a bachelor’s in social studies teacher education, Amrhein taught history and government in the Kent City Schools for 32 years. During this time, he was asked to join the board of trustees of the Kent Historical Society. He served there for 30 years and spent the last 10 as president before leaving in January.
In 2007, Amrhein became intrigued by the idea of running for city council. Although he always had a passion for politics, it was actually his students that gave him the idea.
“A couple students in my government class were talking about civic duty and how everyone has a responsibility to give back to their community, and they suggested I run for council,” he said. “I didn’t really take it seriously until I talked to my wife about it, and then the kids challenged me to do it. I didn’t think I’d win, but I did.”
Ever since then, Amrhein has served on the council representing Ward 2. During this time he also served on the Kent Board of Health for 16 years and as the president pro tempore for the last nine years.
One of Amrhein’s favorite projects he’s been a part of was the redevelopment of downtown Kent during his first few years on the city council. The project included the creation of Acorn Alley, the Kent State Hotel and Conference Center, PARTA’s Kent Central Gateway Multimodal Facility and 700 jobs.
Now, he’s running in the 2025 general election to be the next mayor of Kent. Jerry Fiala, the current mayor, is not seeking reelection, and no one has put their hat in the ring to oppose Amrhein in the mayoral race so far.
“It just seemed like a natural progression to me,” he said.
Kent has a city manager position, so the role of mayor is largely ceremonial with duties such as cutting ribbons, going to meetings and marrying people. However, because of Amrhein’s long history in the city, he believes he can be a friendly face for the community.
“Being a former teacher who worked in the community, I know quite a few people,” he said. “I think I would be a good representative for the city.”
Amrhein described his relationship with Fiala as positive. He added that Fiala would be a “tough act to follow” if elected.
“We may not agree on every single issue, but I respect that because we all have different opinions on things,” Amrhein said. “He’s a good man and a great mayor.”
As mayor, Amrhein said it’d be a priority for him to continue strengthening the bond between the city and Kent State. He’s also aware of the enrollment drop, which could have consequences for both the city and the university.
“The amount of students at your age are starting to get lower and lower,” Amrhein said. “I’m more than willing to work with the university and try to get people down here.”
Spending much of his life in Kent, Amrhein said he’s always felt attracted to the friendliness and diversity of the city. He also said the people and community of Kent are what makes the city such a special place to live in.
“It’s a charming town,” Amrhein said. “You come down here and you just feel welcomed.”
John Engoglia is a beat reporter. Contact him at jengog[email protected].
