State law requires the deputy director to be of a different major political party than the director. In Miami County, Elections Director Laura Bruns is a Republican, so the board needed to appoint a Democrat to the deputy position.
Panagouleas-Stephens’ resume said she worked for the Montgomery County Board of Elections as a polling location supervisor from 2010-15. Most recently, she was a substitute teacher/long-term substitute for the Troy City Schools.
She fills the position previously held by Ian Ridgeway, who was placed on paid administrative leave in early August after the sheriff notified the elections board that an investigation was being conducted into possible irregularities in procurement of supplies.
The investigation focused on a document submitted to the county auditor’s office in July as an invoice that appeared to be altered “as it was completely different from any other invoice from that company,” the sheriff’s office investigation report said.
The “invoice” was for items purchased from a local business in spring 2023. A business representative told investigators the “invoice” did not come from the business. A subsequent evaluation of Ridgeway’s computer showed efforts to convert documents, with copies of both the original and fraudulent invoices found in files, the report said.
Ridgeway resigned in October and pleaded in county Common Pleas Court to felony forgery. He was sentenced to up to five years of probation.
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