Strasburg 2023 Distinguished Alumni announced
Rock VanFossen
The Tiger Foundation has selected three Strasburg Franklin Local High School Distinguished Alumni to be honored during graduation ceremonies on May 21 at 2 p.m. in the high school.
Those to receive 2023 Distinguished Alumni awards are Warren “Rock” VanFossen (1965), Todd Grimm (1979) and Chase Willis (2010).
VanFossen graduated from Malone University with a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Dayton.
He began his teaching and coaching career at Strasburg High in 1968. He served as head basketball coach from 1970-74. His 1972-73 team record was 20-4, the team was regional runner-up, and the team and coaches were inducted into the Strasburg High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023. For the next seven years, he was a teacher, head basketball coach and junior high principal at Sandy Valley Schools. His overall record during his nine years as head varsity coach was 142 wins and 47 losses.
In 1981 he returned to Strasburg High as high school principal and served for eight years before returning to Sandy Valley as high school principal and 10 years as superintendent.
VanFossen’s last three years in education, he was the overseer of construction of the new schools in Sandy Valley. He was elected to serve on the East District Athletic Board in 1985 and was elected to his fourth term in 2005 and served as president five times.
VanFossen received seven recognition awards throughout his 41-year career as an educator: National Interscholastic Administration Distinguished Service Award and Ohio State Grange Association’s Non-granger Award in 2008, East District Distinguished Service and Inter-Valley Conference Achievement awards in 2009, Sandy Valley School Alumni Association Distinguished Wall of Fame in 2016, District 5 Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2017, and Strasburg High Athletic Hall of Fame (1972-73) basketball team in 2023.
Todd Grimm graduated in 1979. He earned a mechanical engineering degree from Kent State University and additional education at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He began his career with Zimmer Inc., then Richard Allan Medical and then DLP/Medtronic, where he was instrumental in developing the Hemopump, which helps keep people alive while waiting for a heart transplant and during bypass and other heart surgeries.
In 1988 he began his own company, Rose Medical, which provides manufacturing services for precise medical surgical devices. Over the past 25 years, Rose Medical has grown to employ over 120 people and serves customers all over the world.
Grimm said his success is due to three things: faith in God; support from his wife Brinda, family and community; and the influence of his favorite coaches and teachers Cliff Bronson and Ron Hurst.
Willis graduated in 2010. In high school he competed in the state for golf twice, both as an individual and with the Tiger team.
Willis took a small business of selling golf carts at his parents’ golf course to one of the largest EzGo Golf Cart dealers in the nation, Willandale Golf Cart Sales. His business has consistently been in the top five nationally. Willandale was the top retail dealer for EzGo/Textron in 2018 and 2019 and Midwest Dealer of the Year in 2022. The business ships golf carts all over the world and rents carts throughout the United States.
Willis has been featured on Podcasts and business articles for his success in the golf cart and real estate industries. On a personal note, he plans to continue to volunteer with the Strasburg golf team and support both the school and community improvement projects.
Plaques will be placed in the high school hallway to honor the 2023 inductees.