Members

Ryan Thomas
Board President

Ryan Thomas is in his second term as a Grove City Area School District board member. He assumed office in December 2019.

Educated in the Grove City Area School District, Mr. Thomas earned a B.S. in Entrepreneurship from Grove City College.

 “I’ve grown up in Grove City and lived here my whole life.  I just want to do my part to give back to the community I love by volunteering my time on our school board.”

Mr. Thomas´s wife is Loni and they have a son, Declan, and a daughter, Charlotte, who attend GCASD.

Mr. Thomas’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2027.

Mr. Thomas is the chair of the Facilities and School Safety Committee.

August (Augie) Hurst
Board Vice-President

Augie, as he is best known by his family and friends, was appointed to the Grove City Area School Board in December of 2020.

He is an alumnus of Waynesburg University (Bachelors of Science - 1998) and Princeton Theological Seminary (Masters of Divinity - 2001). Augie is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and has served as the pastor of Lebanon Presbyterian Church in Mercer, Pa. for the past 10 years. In addition to his vocational ministry, Augie also enjoys spending time with his family and friends, coaching baseball, listening to music, landscaping and fly fishing.

Mr. Hurst’s wife is Gretchen and he has two teenage children, Autumn and Grayden. 

Mr. Hurst’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2029.

Mr. Hurst is the chair of the Personnel Committee.

Mr. Hurst is a member of the Educational Services Committee.

Ray Abplanalp

Profile Coming Soon

Mitch Augustine

Mitch Augustine is in his first term as a Grove City Area School District board member.  He assumed office in December 2025. 

Educated in Slippery Rock Area School District and earned a degree in Real Estate/Finance from Clarion University.

¨With over 20 years of sales and project management experience, I currently work at Imperial Systems in Mercer as the Northeast Territory Manager.  I have a deep interest in serving to ensure optimal spending and funding for different programs and interests.  From the career center to business programs, technical training, and AP offerings.  Grove City has so much to offer our students.  Making sure teachers are supported in these efforts is paramount."

Mr. Augustine´s wife is Amy and they have three sons, Jennings, Peter, and Parker that attend GCASD.

Mr. Augustine’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2029.

Dr. Erik Bardy

Dr. Erik Bardy is in his first term as a Grove City Area School District board member.  He assumed office in December 2023.

Dr. Bardy grew up and was educated in Hyde Park, NY, which is north of New York City.  He earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a portion of his graduate work done in France.

“I have been living in Grove City since 2006 when I started as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Grove City College.  As a father with a daughter in the Grove City Area School District, I have been pleased with the quality of educators she has had.  I want to serve as best I can, working with the other board members and the community, to support the district's mission of educating our children.”

Dr. Bardy and his wife, Patti, have one daughter in the Grove City Area School System.

Dr. Bardy’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2027.

Dr. Bardy is a member of the Facilities and School Safety Committee.

Karen Hazy Bishop

Karen Hazy Bishop is in her first term as a Grove City Area School District board member.  She assumes office in December 2023.

Educated in Grove City Area School District, Ms. Hazy Bishop earned a BA in Christian Thought from Grove City College as well as Licensing and Ordination from the Christian and Missionary Alliance.

“As a life-long resident of Grove City, I look forward to being able to serve our community in this capacity.  My previous experience as a youth pastor, and my current role as the Director of Youth and Family Services at the YMCA overseeing the after-school program gives me a unique perspective into the lives of students and their families within our district.  It is my desire to be an advocate for these students as well as others in the Grove City area, as we equip all learners for successful futures.”

Mrs. Hazy Bishop and her husband, Dan, have two daughters who attend GCASD.

Mrs. Hazy Bishop’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2027. 

Mrs. Hazy Bishop is a member of the Student Affairs and Activities and the Policy and Legislative Affairs Committees.

Lindon Fowler  

Lindon Fowler is in his first term as a Grove City Area School District board member.  He assumed office in October 2025. 

Educated in Butler Area High School and earned a bachelors of Arts in Biblical Studies and Covenant Theological Seminary - Masters of Divinity from Geneva College.

¨Lindon is a 13-year resident of Grove City and he believes public schools play a key role in Grove City’s vitality and its future.  He is excited for the opportunity to invest in an organization that has invested in his own children.  As executive director of Seneca Hills Bible Camp & Retreat Center, Lindon works with his own board of directors and understands how meaningful these relationships can be.¨

Lindon and his wife, Megan, have four children: one high schooler, two at the middle school, and one future kindergartener. 

Mr. Fowler’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2027.

Dr. Constance Nichols

Dr. Constance Nichols is in her third term as a Grove City Area School District board member.  She assumed office in October 2017. 

Educated in the North Allegheny School District, Dr. Nichols earned a B.S. in Elementary Education from Grove City College, a M.S. in Reading and Language Arts from Duquesne University and a Doctorate in Instruction of Learning from the University of Pittsburgh. 

"It is a great honor to serve alongside my fellow school directors on the Grove City Area School Board as a member of the board, and the President for 2018.  I have devoted my professional life to education across private and public sectors for twenty-five years."

"I first became aware of the Grove City Area School District as a student of Grove City College studying education, and student taught at Hillview Elementary.  After graduating from Grove City College, I worked in both private and public schools as a teacher and reading specialist.  While working, I continued my education pursuing advanced degrees in areas related to literacy cognition and learning.  I joined the faculty of Grove City College in 2001.  At Grove City College I have served as a faculty member and Chair of the Education Department.  My professional highlights have included being honored as the ODK professor of the year at GCC and being appointed by Gov. Tom Corbett as the sole faculty representative in Pennsylvania on the Governor's Commission for Accessibility and Affordability in Education.  I am active in several professional and community organizations including the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges of Teacher Educators, the HOPE Center for Arts and Technology, and the Synergy Community Foundation."

"Serving on the board here at Grove City Area School District is a special honor.  It is my hope that through collaborative leadership and thoughtful deliberations we can serve all of our children and families with distinction, and ensure an excellent education for the children of our community now and in the future."

Dr. Nichols and her husband, Steve, have three children who attended GCASD, twin boys and a daughter.

Dr. Nichols' current term on the Board will expire in December 2027.

Dr. Nichols is the chair of the Education Services Committee.

Dr. Nichols is a member of the Personnel Committee.

Sandy Phipps

Sandy Phipps is in her first term as a Grove City Area School District board member.  She assumed office in December 2025. 

Educated in Marion Center Area School District and earned a degree in Physical Therapy from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.

¨I have both the time and dedication to devote to the school board position.  I will work for the community that elected me in supporting our students and teachers.  As a school board member, I will continue to promote excellence, open communication, fiscal responsibility, and a strong future for our students and the school district.  I will ask questions, research, and work with the administration on addressing the goals and challenges of our district.  I welcome input from our students, educators, and the community.  Affordable excellence should be our goal.¨

Mrs. Phipps is a retired Physical Therapist.  She and her husband, Ed, have lived in Grove City for 36 years.  She has raised three children here in Grove City and they all attended GCASD.  They love our community and all it has given to them in personal and professional relationships  Over the years, they have worked in giving back to our community.  Grove City is a great place to live.

Mrs. Phipp’s current term on the Board will expire in December 2029.