“As Commissioner, I strive to expect the best from myself and the best from my fellow citizens as we work together to meet the emerging needs of our county.”

Sam Bassitt is a native of Allen County, having been raised on a small farm in Jackson Township, the next to the youngest of nine children. He completed elementary and secondary school at La-Fayette Jackson High School. Sam completed his undergraduate degree at Ohio Northern University, his Master of Arts degree at The Ohio State University, and has done graduate study at several other institutions.

He is married to Barbara and they have three daughters, four granddaughters, and five grandsons. Sam and Barbara raised their daughters in Bath Township and educated them through Bath Local Schools.

Sam’s career began at home on a small farm, then moved on to truck driving for a wholesale firm in Lima, then a high school teacher in Castalia, a counselor in Bellville, an educational administrator in Lima, and a township trustee at Bath. Sam assisted in the founding of Rhodes State College at its inception and was its first Vice President of Academic Affairs. He was elected six times as a Bath Township Trustee serving over twenty years. His most recent role has been as Director of College Tech Prep for the West Central Ohio Tech Prep Consortium housed at Rhodes State College, yet serving an eight county region.

Sam has been significant in a number of local initiatives of public service. He was chairman of the Ottawa River Coalition, chairman of Allen County Healthy People 2000 and 2010, chairman of the Allen County Health Advisory Council, chairman of the Cheryl Allen Southside Center, and has served on committees of the Lima-Allen County Regional Planning Commission, Lima Senior High School, Apollo Career Center, the Allen Correctional Institution Lutheran Social Services, and Owens Community College.

Sam has been active in his church, Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, having served on its council and being Council President for two terms.

Four areas of life have been of great significance to Sam Bassitt. They are God, Family, Work and Community, and he says, “I struggle continually to keep them in appropriate priority.”

Dan Reiff | Greg Sneary | Sam Bassitt