Honors Alumni Banquet to feature Maumee Law Director

RIO GRANDE, Ohio – The job description for a city law director doesn’t reference a cape and fancy utility belt, or a shiny suit of armor. But make no mistake, Beth Tischler is a modern day hero to many.

As the first in-house law director for the City of Maumee, Tischler drafts city policy and procedure, assists with finance and budgetary issues and manages the entire Law Department, which includes the division of Municipal Prosecution.

The University of Rio Grande alumna cites education as one of the primary keys to her success. A member of the Rio Grande Honors Program, Tischler graduated in 2000 with her Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Bachelor of Arts in Economics, as well as a Spanish minor. Tischler also earned a Masters in Business Administration and Juris Doctorate from the University of Toledo.

As the guest speaker at Wednesday’s University of Rio Grande Honors Alumni Banquet, Tischler hopes sharing her experiences and success will help to inspire the next generation of Rio students.

“I am honored to be asked to speak to current students,” Tischler said. “When contemplating college I looked at many larger institutions. Ultimately I am glad that I selected Rio. The smaller class sizes, the availability of faculty and staff as well as the friendships were a good fit. … I felt the Rio Business curriculum allowed me to excel within the MBA program at the University of Toledo as well as prepared me for law school.”

Wednesday’s Honors Alumni Banquet also will honor eight seniors – English major Jessica DeLong, Marketing major Corey Fisher, Education major Karla Garn, Computer Science major Pearce Michal, Education major Tabitha Mosley, Education major Brittany Piccone, Computer Science major John Rexroad and Graphic Design major Samantha Taylor.

The Rio Grande Honors Program, Simple Brilliance, engages gifted students through a specialized curriculum, Honors seminars, and a capstone project that challenges all perceptions to achieve maximum potential. The academic excellence embodied by the Rio Grande faculty combined with the core value system of the surrounding Appalachian culture fosters socially responsible, culturally diverse leaders dedicated to confronting global change.

Tischler, an alumna of the Honors Program, also was active in numerous extra curricular activities at Rio. She ran cross country and track, earned NAIA Academic All-America status, participated in entrepreneurial student club SIFE (now Enactus) and twice traveled to Mexico through the Language Experience Program.

“As a student Beth was motivated, responsible, intelligent, caring, committed and a hard worker,” said Carol Smith, Enactus advisor and director of the Loren M. Berry Center for Economic Education at Rio Grande. “Students of her caliber are a privilege to work with, and an example of the type of quality students who received their education at the University of Rio Grande.”

Tischler still serves on the Enactus Business Advisory Board and “is willing to assist us in any capacity that is needed,” Smith said.

That commitment to service and hard work played a significant role in Tischler being appointed as Maumee’s Law Director.

Maumee Mayor Richard H. Carr said Tischler’s educational background separated her from other candidates. The fact she wasn’t satisfied with just a Juris Doctorate but also attained her MBA, all while working and participating in extracurricular activities demonstrated “initiative and drive.”

Maumee is a community of 14,000 residents, but more than 30,000 people earn an income within the city that manages an annual budget of more than $17 million. Such a community requires a law director with a broad array of skills, to which Tischler delivers.

“She can work under pressure, work well with other City employees, and meet the challenges of her job. These attributes were not learned in law school, but were established as an undergraduate at the University of Rio Grande,” Mayor Carr said. “Beth is an important part of our administrative team today and integral part of the future of the City of Maumee.”