Meet The Board

Mr. Mark Astorino, Chairman

Term End Date - May 1, 2026

Appointee - Ashtabula County Probate Court

Mark Astorino currently serves as the CFO/Treasurer and Director of Business Operations of Ashtabula Area City Schools. With more than 35 years of progressively responsible experience directing teams of domestic and global employees. Mark has spent 20 years as a chief financial officer in a variety of industries, including manufacturing of pigment and chemical dispersions, restaurants, nonprofits and schools.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Lake Erie College and a Master of Non Profit Management degree from Regis Jesuit University. In addition, he holds Ohio licenses for School Treasurer and School Business Manager.

In his business operations role with the Ashtabula Area City Schools, he also serves as district safety coordinator.

Mark is a graduate of Leadership Ashtabula County and very engaged in the community serving on numerous boards including Community First Credit Union, Ashtabula Foundation, St. John School and the Ashtabula Area College Committee. Mark is a member of and active in Our Lady of Peace Parish.

Ms. Amy Coursen-Scruggs, Vice Chairwoman

Term End Date - January 31, 2028

Appointee - Ashtabula City Manager

Ms. Amy Coursen is a dedicated public servant and housing advocate. She is a lifelong resident of Ashtabula County. Currently, she serves as the Project Administrator for the City of Ashtabula. With over 35 years of experience in public service and nonprofit leadership, Ms. Coursen has built her career around community advocacy and improving the lives of individuals and families throughout Ashtabula County.

In her current role with the City of Ashtabula, as well as in her previous position with the Ashtabula County Commissioners Community Services Office, Ms. Coursen has successfully administered numerous federal and state grant programs. These include funding initiatives through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and Affordable Housing initiatives. In addition, she serves as the City’s Fair Housing Coordinator, where she works to promote civil rights and educate both landlords and tenants on housing laws and their respective responsibilities.

Ms. Coursen also brings a wealth of board experience to AMHA, having served for over two decades on the board of the Ashtabula Homeless Shelter. In that role, she has played a key part in securing funding from the Ohio Department of Development and recently oversaw federal capital funding for the 2025 expansion and renovation of the shelter’s facilities.

Ms. Coursen is a passionate advocate for housing access and domestic violence support services. She strongly believes that housing is a fundamental human right and essential to achieving stability in health, education, and economic opportunity. Her unwavering commitment to safe, stable, and healthy housing continues to guide her work and service to the community.

Ms. Irene Fiala, Member

Term End Date - March 17, 2029

Appointee - Ashtabula County Commissioners

Irene Fiala, Ph.D., M.B.A., forged a dynamic career encompassing academia, research, and dedicated community service. Holding a Ph.D. in Sociology from Kent State University (2003), where her dissertation explored the social construction of public health statistics within the medicolegal system, she also earned an M.B.A. in Management (1990) and a B.B.A. in Marketing (1987), both from Kent State.

Retiring from PennWest University at Edinboro this August 2025 as a Full Professor (Sociology), a position she held since 2023, Dr. Fiala served the university since 2002, achieving tenure in 2008 and the rank of Associate Professor in 2012. Her teaching experience spans various institutions, including Kent State University (Ashtabula Campus), John Carroll University, Cleveland State University, Baldwin-Wallace University, and Lakeland Community College.

Beyond academia, Dr. Fiala’s leadership and impact have been recognized in "Women of PennWest," the BORO Magazine, as well as through her selection as a Fall 2022 Convocation Speaker. An "Inspirational Leader" in Kent State's Flash Tales oral history project, she was the Founder and First Board President of the Community Cats Coalition of Ashtabula County and currently serves on the Ashtabula Metropolitan Housing Authority Board of Commissioners and the Ashtabula County Planning Commission as an Alternate Commissioner.

A passionate advocate, Dr. Fiala has testified before the Ohio legislature on numerous animal welfare legislation. She has presented her research at numerous international conferences, including the World Congress of Sociology and the World Congress of Criminology, and has presented in Australia, Brazil, South Africa, South Korea, Czech Republic, and Canada.

Currently in Transition

Term - N/A

Appointee - Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court

Currently in Transition

Term - N/A

Appointee - Ashtabula City Manager